By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Orlando Magic got their seventh win in nine games beating the New York Knicks with 131-117. They’re climbing up the standings simultaneously with Nikola Vucevic’s stats rise. On Sunday, the in-form center piled up 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Evan Fournier added 19 points.
The Knicks suffered a fifth straight defeat despite Enes Kanter monster game at Orlando. He started the second half and finished up with 21 points and 19 rebounds in 38 minutes. Frank Ntilikina didn’t score in 22 minutes, while Mario Hezonja didn’t play due to illness.
Marc Gasol notched 26 points and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes. He sank four three-pointers in Memphis Grizzlies’ 100-87 away win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Omri Casspi added six points in 11 minutes. Dario Saric posted 14 points with four threes for the losing side.
Damian Lillard scored 40 points leading the Portland Trail Blazers to their 119-109 away victory over the Washington Wizards. Jusuf Nurkic helped out with 13 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high eight assists. Tomas Satoransky got 10 points for the home team, while Ian Mahinmi remained on the bench.
Marco Belinelli helped the San Antonio Spurs overcome the Golden State Warriors with a 104-92 win by scoring 12 points in 25 minutes. Jonas Jerebko posted eight points for the NBA champions, who have now lost five of their last seven matches.
Goran Dragic missed Miami Heat’s game with the Los Angeles Lakers because of a right knee problem and will be further evaluated on Monday. His team suffered a home defeat in his absence, as LeBron James led the Lakers to a 113-97 away win with 51 points.
A look at the results and the European scorers of the night:
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Memphis Grizzlies | 87-100 | Dario Saric 14pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1stl – Marc Gasol 26pts, 13reb,, 3ast, 2stl, 3blk, Omri Casspi 6pts, 1reb, 2stl |
| Miami Heat | Los Angeles Lakers | 97-113 | Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk 0pts |
| Orlando Magic | New York Knicks | 131-117 | Nikola Vucevic 28pts, 10reb, 9ast, 2blk, Evan Fournier 19pts, 4reb, 6ast, 1stl, 1blk – Enes Kanter 21pts, 19reb, 3ast, 1blk, Frank Ntilikina 2reb, 2ast, 1stl |
| Washington Wizards | Portland Trail Blazers | 109-119 | Tomas Satoransky 10pts, 2reb, 7ast, 1stl – Jusuf Nurkic 13pts, 14reb,8ast, 1blk |
| San Antonio Spurs | Golden State Warriors | 104-92 | Marco Belinelli 12pts, 1ast, Jakob Poeltl 4pts – Jonas Jerebko 8pts, 10reb, 2ast |
The standings:
Eastern Conference
1. Toronto Raptors 13-4
2. Milwaukee Bucks 11-4
3. Indiana Pacers 10-6
4. Philadelphia 76ers 11-7
5. Boston Celtics 9-7
6. Detroit Pistons 7-6
7. Orlando Magic 9-8
8. Charlotte Hornets 7-8
9. Brooklyn Nets 7-10
10. Miami Heat 6-10
11. Washington Wizards 5-11
12. Chicago Bulls 4-13
13. New York Knicks 4-13
14. Atlanta Hawks 3-13
15. Cleveland Cavaliers 2-12
Western Conference
1. Portland Trail Blazers 11-5
2. Golden State Warriors 12-6
3. Memphis Grizzlies 10-5
4. Los Angeles Clippers 10-5
5. Oklahoma City Thunder 10-5
6. Denver Nuggets 10-6
7. Los Angeles Lakers 9-7
8. New Orleans Pelicans 9-7
9. San Antonio Spurs 8-7
10. Houston Rockets 8-7
11. Utah Jazz 8-8
12. Sacramento Kings 8-8
13. Dallas Mavericks 7-8
14. Minnesota Timberwolves 7-10
15. Phoenix Suns 3-12