By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Russell Westbrook went off for his 32nd triple-double of the NBA 2018-19 Regular Season paving the way for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 132-126 away win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Dennis Schroder changed the game with 14 of his 21 points in the final period. Fellow European Dario Saric scored a season-high 23 points for the hosts.
James Harden is now the second player after Michael Jordan with at least 2,700 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in one season. He finished with 30, 13 and 9 respectively leading the Houston Rockets to the 149-113 victory over the Phoenix Suns. His teammate Clint Capela had 22 points and 13 boards.
The Orlando Magic officially made it to the playoffs and clinched the Southeast title after the 116-108 away victory against the Boston Celtics. Nikola Vucevic poured 25 points and tallied 12 rebounds as well. His European counterpart Evan Fournier added 24 points.
The Brooklyn Nets also sealed their playoffs berth beating the Indiana Pacers, 108-96, at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Domantas Sabonis put up a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double and Bojan Bogdanovic added 13 points, but weren’t enough for the home team.
The Milwaukee Bucks notched their 60th win of the season by taking down the Atlanta Hawks, 115-107. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 30 points and grabbed nine boards as well. Alex Len set a new career-high scoring 33 points for the losing side.
A new career-high was in order for Mario Hezonja and a rare win for the New York Knicks. The recently assigned starting point guard poured 30 points and made a clutch three-pointer with 44 seconds to go in the 113-110 win against the Washington Wizards.
Enes Kanter had 11 points and 13 boards for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 115-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Rudy Gobert also notched a double-double with 21 points and ten boards to his name, but the Utah Jazz lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-109.
Dirk Nowitzki became the fifth NBA players with 10,000 defensive rebounds despite playing only in the first half on Sunday. His four European teammates were all out injured, but the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 129-127, in overtime.
Results and European action:
| GAME | RESULT | EUROPEAN STATS |
| Toronto Raptors – Miami Heat | 117-109 | Ibaka 12pts, 5reb, 3blk, M. Gasol 8pts, 10reb, 7ast, Anunoby 2reb, 1ast, 1stl – Dragic 9pts, 5reb, 6ast, 1stl |
| Cleveland Cavaliers – San Antonio Spurs | 90-112 | Zizic 14pts, 6reb, 2ast, Osman 12pts, 4reb, 2ast – Dav. Bertans 14pts, 2reb, 1stl, Poeltl 8pts, 10reb, 2stl, 2blk, Motiejunas 2pts, 1reb, 1ast, Belinelli 1ast |
| Minnesota Timberwolves – Oklahoma City Thunder | 126-132 | Saric 23pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1blk, Deng OUT – Schroder 21pts, 2reb, 1ast, 1stl |
| Detroit Pistons – Charlotte Hornets | 91-104 | Pachulia DNP, Mykhailiuk OUT, Calderon OUT – Batum 5reb, 3ast, Parker DNP, W. Hernangomez DNP |
| Indiana Pacers – Brooklyn Nets | 96-108 | Sabonis 17pts, 12reb, 3ast, Boj. Bogdanovic 13pts, 4reb, 2ast, 1stl – Kurucs 4pts, 7reb, 1ast, Musa G-L |
| Memphis Grizzlies – Dallas Mavericks | 127-129 | Dorsey 15pts, 3reb, 3ast, Valanciunas OUT, Noah OUT – Nowitzki 2pts, 5reb, 1ast, 1blk, Porzingis OUT, K. Antetokounmpo OUT, Kleber OUT, Doncic OUT |
| Houston Rockets – Phoenix Suns | 149-113 | Capela 22pts, 13reb, 4ast, 1stl, 1blk, Hartenstein G-L – Bender 19pts, 8reb, 1stl, Okobo 12pts, 3reb, 4ast, 1stl |
| Milwaukee Bucks – Atlanta Hawks | 115-107 | G. Antetokounmpo 30pts, 9reb, 3ast, 1stl, 3blk, Ilyasova 3pts, 4reb, 1ast, P. Gasol OUT, Mirotic OUT – Len 33pts, 8reb, 4ast, 2blk |
| Boston Celtics – Orlando Magic | 108-116 | Theis 6pts, 4reb, 1ast, 2blk, Yabusele OUT – Vucevic 25pts, 12reb, 4ast, 1stl, Fournier 24pts, 5reb, 3ast, 2stl, Mozgov OUT |
| New York Knicks – Washington Wizards | 113-110 | Hezonja 30pts, 6reb, 5ast, 2stl, Ntilikina OUT – Satoransky 7pts, 5reb, 7ast, 2stl, Mahinmi 2pts, 7reb |
| Golden State Warriors – Los Angeles Clippers | 131-104 | Jerebko 5pts, 2reb, 2stl – Zubac 7pts, 8reb, 1ast, Gallinari OUT |
| Portland Trail Blazers – Denver Nuggets | 115-108 | Kanter 11pts, 13reb, 1ast, 1stl, Nurkic OUT – J. Hernangomez 7pts, 4reb, 2ast, 1stl, Jokic OUT |
| Sacramento Kings – New Orleans Pelicans | 129-133 | Bogd. Bogdanovic 16pts, 5reb, 1ast, 2stl, Bjelica 15pts, 2ast, Koufos OUT – Dair. Bertans 6pts, 2reb |
| Los Angeles Lakers – Utah Jazz | 113-109 | Wagner 6pts, 1reb, 1blk, Bonga, 2reb, 2ast, 1blk – Gobert 21pts, 10reb, 2ast, 2blk, Sefolosha 13pts, 4reb, 2ast, 5ast, Mitrou-Long DNP, Rubio OUT |
Standings:
Eastern Conference
1. z-Milwaukee Bucks 60-21
2. y-Toronto Raptors 57-24
3. x-Philadelphia 76ers 50-30
4. x-Boston Celtics 48-33
5. x-Indiana Pacers 47-34
6. x-Brooklyn Nets 41-40
7. y-Orlando Magic 41-40
8. Detroit Pistons 39-41
9. Charlotte Hornets 38-42
10. Miami Heat 38-42
11. e-Washington Wizards 32-49
12. e-Atlanta Hawks 29-52
13. e-Chicago Bulls 22-58
14. e-Cleveland Cavaliers 19-62
15. e-New York Knicks 16-64
Western Conference
1. z-Golden State Warriors 56-24
2. y-Denver Nuggets 53-27
3. y-Houston Rockets 53-28
4. x-Portland Trail Blazers 51-29
5. x-Utah Jazz 49-31
6. x-Oklahoma City Thunder 47-33
7. x-San Antonio Spurs 47-34
8. x-Los Angeles Clippers 47-34
9. e-Sacramento Kings 39-42
10 e-Los Angeles Lakers 37-44.
11. e-Minnesota Timberwolves 36-44
12. e-New Orleans Pelicans 33-48
13. e-Memphis Grizzlies 32-48
14. e-Dallas Mavericks 32-48
15. e-Phoenix Suns 19-62
z-clinched conference and playoffs spot
y-clinched division and playoffs spot
x-clinch playoffs spot
e-Eliminated from playoffs
Photo Credit: Getty Images