By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Portland Trail Blazers nearly mishandled a 21-point lead but recorded a 115-99 victory versus the Memphis Grizzlies in Moda Center.
A brilliant display by Deni Avdija on Wednesday paved the way for the team coached by Chauncey Billups. The 24-year-old Israeli combo forward posted a 31-point, 16-rebound double-double. He also put in eight assists and two blocks.
“I am just playing my game,” he mentioned in an on-court interview following the game, “I always say, ‘I work hard’, ‘I play hard’, that’s what I do. And the coaching staff supports me. They help put me in the situations that I succeed in, but I couldn’t do it without the guys.”
After sitting out the previous team outing in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, Belgian Toumani Camara (right calf soreness) bounced back into the starting lineup with 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Between French teammates, Rayan Rupert logged two fruitless minutes and Sidy Cissoko remained on a G League assignment with the Rip City Remix. Resurfacing for the Grizzlies after missing six games in a row, Spanish Santi Aldama (right calf strain) registered 16 points, five rebounds, and one assist.
Turkish Alperen Sengun posted a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double plus four assists as the Houston Rockets notched an eighth straight win by defeating the Orlando Magic, 116-108, in Kia Center. For the hosts, German Franz Wagner piled up 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Georgian Goga Bitadze settled at 19 points, eight rebounds, one steal, and one block, and German Tristan da Silva at two points, two assists, and two rebounds. German Moritz Wagner (left knee surgery) remained unavailable.
French Alex Sarr drew 22 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two assists, and fellow starter, Serbian Tristan Vukcevic had 17 points, five rebounds, and two steals, but the Washington Wizards fell to the Utah Jazz, 128-112, in Delta Center. French teammate Bilal Coulibaly (right hamstring strain) has been on the injury list and is expected to miss the rest of the season. For the Jazz, Finnish Lauri Markkanen (personal reasons) was ruled out alongside Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (right foot strain).
Despite missing several players, including German Isaiah Hartenstein (low back spasms) joining French Ousmane Dieng (left calf strain), Belgian Ajay Mitchell (right great toe surgery), and Serbian Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) on the sidelines, the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers, 133-100, in Paycom Center. Returning to action for the Sixers, French Guerschon Yabusele (right knee soreness) recorded 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal, but Turkish Adem Bona (left ankle sprain) remained out.
A game-winning three-pointer by Cade Cunningham lifted the Detroit Pistons over the Miami Heat, 116-113, in Kaseya Center. German Dennis Schroder chipped in eight points, three assists, one block, and one rebound. Italian Simone Fontecchio added two points and two rebounds. Swedish Bobi Klintman remained assigned to the G League’s Motor City Cruise. On the losing end, Serbian Nikola Jovic (right hand fracture) is still out, but Swedish Pelle Larsson logged three minutes and one assist.
Devin Booker scored 41 points for the Phoenix Suns in a win, 127-121, against the Chicago Bulls in PHX Arena. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic registering 24 points, six rebounds, three blocks, and two assists was not enough for the visitors. Also starting, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis finished with five points, one steal, and one assist. On the winning end, Serbian Vasilije Micic stayed on the bench.
Without Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (right ankle sprain), the Sacramento Kings outlasted the Cleveland Cavaliers, 123-119, in Golden 1 Center. In the starting lineup, fellow Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas threw in a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double and dished out two assists.
Wednesday results
Indiana Pacers – Dallas Mavericks 135-131
Orlando Magic – Houston Rockets 108-116
Miami Heat – Detroit Pistons 113-116
Minnesota Timberwolves – New Orleans Pelicans 115-119
Oklahoma City Thunder – Philadelphia 76ers 133-100
San Antonio Spurs – New York Knicks 120-105
Utah Jazz – Washington Wizards 128-112
Los Angeles Lakers – Denver Nuggets 120-108
Phoenix Suns – Chicago Bulls 127-121
Portland Trail Blazers – Memphis Grizzlies 115-99
Sacramento Kings – Cleveland Cavaliers 123-119
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. p-Cleveland Cavaliers 56-13
2. p-Boston Celtics 50-19
3. New York Knicks 43-25
4. Indiana Pacers 39-39
5. Milwaukee Bucks 38-30
6. Detroit Pistons 39-31
7. Atlanta Hawks 33-36
8. Orlando Magic 32-28
9. Chicago Bulls 29-40
10. Miami Heat 29-40
11. Toronto Raptors 24-45
12. Brooklyn Nets 23-46
13. Philadelphia 76ers 23-46
14. Charlotte Hornets 17-51
15. Washington Wizards 15-53
Western Conference
1. p-Oklahoma City Thunder 57-12
2. Houston Rockets 45-25
3. Los Angeles Lakers 43-25
4. Denver Nuggets 44-26
5. Memphis Grizzlies 43-27
6. Golden State Warriors 40-29
7. Los Angeles Clippers 39-30
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 40-31
9. Sacramento Kings 35-33
10. Phoenix Suns 33-37
11. Dallas Mavericks 33-37
12. Portland Trail Blazers 31-39
13. San Antonio Spurs 29-39
14. e-New Orleans Pelicans 19-51
15. e-Utah Jazz 16-54
-The top six teams from each conference clinch a berth in the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh to tenth advance to the Play-Ins
p-clinched a playoff berth
e-eliminated