By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Snapping a nine-game winning streak of the Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets prevailed, 116-111, in Toyota Center on Sunday.
Nikola Jokic sat out a fourth straight game of the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season with a left ankle impingement. The Serbian superstar is expected to also miss Monday’s meeting with the Chicago Bulls in Ball Arena but return to action during a five-game homestand, possibly against the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday.
In a huge win, Slovenian Vlatko Cancar and Croatian Dario Saric stayed on the bench for the team coached by Michael Malone. The Nuggets improving to 45-27 reduced the distance from the Rockets and second place in the Western Conference standings to one game.
On the wrong end of the NBA Sundays contest, Turkish Alperen Sengun posted a triple-double without committing a turnover. His efforts went into 17 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists alongside two steals and one block over 39 minutes. “It’s one of those games. We are going to bounce back next game,” the 22-year-center immediately focused on Tuesday’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks in Toyota Center during a postgame media session.
Double-doubles for Hartenstein and Zubac
In Intuit Dome, the Oklahoma City Thunder edged out the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-101. Playing through a nasal fracture, German Isaiah Hartenstein combined a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double with six assists, three blocks, and two steals, but French Ousmane Dieng with a left calf strain, Belgian Ajay Mitchell rehabbing a right great toe surgery, and Serbian Nikola Topic out since operation in his left knee remained sidelined.
Starting for the hosts, Croatian Ivica Zubac drew a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double alongside three assists and two blocks. Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic finished two points, three assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block. French Nicolas Batum was limited to five fruitless minutes.