By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Wrapping up a five-game road trip early in the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season, the Miami Heat held on down the stretch to defeat the Utah Jazz 115–109 at Delta Center on Tuesday.
Initially listed as questionable with a right wrist sprain, Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo paved the way with 30 points in 30 minutes. He hit 12 of 21 shots, including a three-pointer, and grabbed 11 rebounds alongside four assists.
Fellow starter Pelle Larsson of Sweden tallied 14 points, while Italian Simone Fontecchio chipped in three from the bench. However, Serbia’s Nikola Jovic did not play, and Russian Vladislav Goldin was inactive.
For the visitors, Ukrainian reserve Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk accounted for all the European scoring with seven points. They were missing their top frontcourt options after Finland’s Lauri Markkanen suffered a right wrist sprain, joining Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic on the injury list.
Franz Wagner stars in Sacramento
Meanwhile, German starter Franz Wagner netted a game-high 33 points as the Orlando Magic topped the Sacramento Kings 107–100 at Golden 1 Center to snap a four-game losing streak. “I thought we attacked a little smarter today, and I just try to get to my spots and make some plays. Still got a couple of plays where I could have been more patient, but we’ll get there,” recapped the 25-year-old forward in his postgame interview.
Fellow German import Tristan da Silva was ruled out with a left calf strain, joining France’s Noah Penda on the injury list. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic and Georgian Goga Bitadze added five and two points off the bench, respectively.
For the hosts, Lithuanian starter Domantas Sabonis was cleared from left knee soreness but went scoreless in 23 minutes. Israeli Emanuel Sharp scored two points and Ukrainian-Belarusian Alex Karaban remained on the bench.
Avdija powers up Blazers
After 14 lead changes, the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away in the second half to get past the Oklahoma City Thunder 123–103 at the Moda Center. Taking over after the break, Israeli Deni Avdija finished with 24 points, with fellow starters Sidy Cissoko of France and Toumani Camara of Belgium settling at 17 and 12, respectively. In contrast, Czech Vit Krejci was recently sidelined with a left ankle fracture.
“We came out in the second half and tried to be more aggressive, and we made shots,” mentioned 25-year-old Avdija. “We’re not scared of anybody.”
For the Thunder in their first of two consecutive games in Portland, European starters Ajay Mitchell of Belgium and Isaiah Hartenstein of Germany recorded 14 and seven points, respectively. Also, Spanish reserve Aday Mara posted a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Anunoby hits five three-pointers
Over at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks earned their fourth consecutive victory by routing the Milwaukee Bucks 117–85. British starter OG Anunoby sank five threes on his way to 19 points for the defending champions. “It’s improving. It’s getting better and better each game. We’re focusing on the fundamentals, reviewing the film,” mentioned the 29-year-old, commenting on his side’s defense.
French reserves Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara threw in eight and five points, respectively.
For Milwaukee, Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis had 11 points, Italian Nate Ament finished with 10, French Ousmane Dieng got eight, and Serbian Bogoljub Markovic went scoreless.
Celtics top Sixers in tense reunion
Former Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown met for the first time following weeks of speculation over their strained relationship and some pregame tension, but Paul George erupted for 36 points to carry the C’s past the Philadelphia 76ers 123–101 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Portuguese starter Neemias Queta chipped in four points. Off the bench, Spanish Hugo Gonzalez got 10 and Bosnian Luka Garza two, but British Amari Williams did not dress.
On the wrong end, France’s Rayan Rupert was limited to a scoreless stint, with Turkish Adem Bona remaining out due to a cervical spine sprain and joining Germany’s Ariel Hukporti on the sidelines.
“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team,” said 30-year-old Brown after the game, answering a question about apparently ignoring 28-year-old Tatum before tipoff. “To be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson. He played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics.”
Baba Miller scores 13
Finally, the Phoenix Suns cruised past the Los Angeles Clippers 133–110 at Mortgage Matchup Center, where Spanish Baba Miller reached an NBA-high 13 points on 4-for-4 field goals off the bench for the losing side.
Tuesday games
New York Knicks – Milwaukee Bucks 117-85
Philadelphia 76ers – Boston Celtics 101-123
Phoenix Suns – Los Angeles Clippers 133-110
Utah Jazz – Miami Heat 109-115
Sacramento Kings – Orlando Magic 100-107
Portland Trail Blazers – Oklahoma City Thunder 123-103
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics 9-2
2. Philadelphia 76ers 9-3
3. Detroit Pistons 7-3
4. New York Knicks 6-4
5. Atlanta Hawks 7-5
6. Toronto Raptors 5-5
7. Cleveland Cavaliers 5-6
8. Miami Heat 5-6
9. Charlotte Hornets 4-7
10. Washington Wizards 4-7
11. Orlando Magic 3-7
12. Indiana Pacers 3-8
13. Brooklyn Nets 2-8
14. Chicago Bulls 1-8
15. Milwaukee Bucks 1-10
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers 10-2
2. San Antonio Spurs 9-2
3. Golden State Warriors 8-3
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 8-3
5. Oklahoma City Thunder 8-3
6. Houston Rockets 8-3
7. Memphis Grizzlies 7-3
8. Portland Trail Blazers 7-3
9. Dallas Mavericks 7-4
10. Denver Nuggets 5-4
11. Phoenix Suns 4-6
12. New Orleans Pelicans 4-7
13. Los Angeles Clippers 2-8
14. Sacramento Kings 1-10
15. Utah Jazz 1-10
-Top 6 teams in each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-7th through 10th place teams in each conference qualify for the Play-In tournament
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