By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Bojan Bogdanovic sank the game-winning three at the buzzer for the Utah Jazz in the 103-100 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. The 30-year-old Croatian forward went for 33 points with 5/10 beyond the arc, also grabbed five boards. Fellow European teammate Rudy Gobert had eight points, 17 rebounds and one block in 37 minutes of work.
Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a team-high 30 points with 10/22 from the field including a couple of threes in losing effort, tallied 13 rebounds, four dimes, two steals and a pair of rejections as well. Ersan Ilyasova was also in action, but only registered one assist in eight minutes. Dragan Bender and Thanasis Antetokounmpo were inactive for the visitors.
Nikola Jokic was instrumental in the 21-point fourth-quarter comeback of the Denver Nuggets for the 100-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Pepsi Center. A clutch bucket in the dying seconds of the affair improved his scoring tally to 26 points, also posted ten boards, six dimes, two steals and a pair of rejections. Juan Hernangomez did not play and Vlatko Cancar was inactive.
The only European of the 76ers squad Furkan Korkmaz had 12 points in losing effort behind 3/3 beyond the arc and 4/6 from the field. The 22-year-old Turkish guard also tallied two boards and one dime in 25 minutes of action, but his side fell to 5-3 dropping its third game on the road in six outings.
Luka Doncic poured a career-high 38 points, made another triple-double with 14 boards and ten assists, but the Dallas Mavericks fell to the New York Knicks, 106-102, at the American Airlines Center. Kristaps Porzingis had 28 points, nine rebounds and five rejections in losing effort, and Maxi Kleber finished the match with eight points and five rebounds. Boban Marjanovic did not play.
Frank Ntilikina did it all putting up 14 points, six rebounds, four dimes, four steals and three rejections in 38 minutes for the winning side, but Lithuanian-born Ignas Brazdeikis did not see any action on Friday evening. The Knicks improved to 2-7 with their first 2019-20 NBA Regular Season win on the road.
Bogdan Bogdanovic banked five threes including two in a key fourth-quarter spurt for 20 points, tallied five dimes and four rebounds as well for the Sacramento Kings in the 121-109 victory opposite to the Atlanta Hawks at the State Farm Arena. Nemanja Bjelica added 13 points, three assists and one interception. Alex Len was in action for the hosts with four points and seven boards to show for his effort.
Europeans were in top form at the Amway Center as well with Nikola Vucevic posting a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double to go along with his six dimes, while Evan Fournier scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished six dimes. They led the Orlando Magic to the 118-86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and nine rebounds for the visitors, but Marko Guduric did not get on the board in five minutes.
Serge Ibaka picked up an ankle injury after his eight points and six rebounds, but the Toronto Raptors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 122-104, at the Smoothie King Center. Brit OG Anunoby fell one point shy from his career high with 21 to go along with seven rebounds, while Marc Gasol finished with five points and seven rebounds. Starting Nicolo Melli was held to two points and one block in ten minutes.
Domantas Sabonis went for 17 points, 14 rebounds and six dimes for the Indiana Pacers in the 112-106 win against the Detroit Pistons at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Goga Bitadze was out injured, Naz Mitrou-Long was inactive as well. For the other side, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk ended up with seven points, a couple of dimes and a pair of rebounds, but G League assignee Sekou Doumbouya was inactive.
Goran Dragic scored 19 points from the bench with 7/16 from the field and 3/7 from three-point range, added seven dimes and six rebounds on his Staples Center performance, but the Miami Heat were defeated by the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers, 95-90. Anthony Davis went for 26 points and LeBron James for 25, but Kostas Antetokounmpo did not make the game-squad.
Ante Zizic (foot) was out, but Cedi Osman notched 11 points, four assists, three boards and two steals for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 113-100 victory versus the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena. Moritz Wagner finished with eight points, eight boards and three rejections for the losing side, Davis Bertans with five points and three rebounds, but Isaac Bonga did not play and injured Ian Mahinmi remained sidelined.
Damian Lillard scored a career-high 60 points, but the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 119-115, at the Moda Center. European teammate Mario Hezonja notched six points, nine rebounds, one dime and one steal, but injured Pau Gasol and Jusuf Nurkic remained out alongside Jaylen Hoard. Dzanan Musa ended up with two points and one rebounds for the winning side, but Rodions Kurucs did not play and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was inactive.
Also, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors, 125-119, in overtime at the Target Center behind Andrew Wiggins’ 40 points. D’Angelo Russell’s 52-point outing for the visitors went to waste. The lone European of the matchup Alen Smailagic was inactive.
Standings:
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics 6-1
2. Toronto Raptors 6-2
3. Miami Heat 6-3
4. Milwaukee Bucks 6-3
5. Philadelphia 76ers 5-3
6. Indiana Pacers 5-4
7. Charlotte Hornets 4-4
8. Brooklyn Nets 4-4
9. Detroit Pistons 4-6
10. Cleveland Cavaliers 3-5
11. Atlanta Hawks 3-5
12. Orlando Magic 3-6
13. Chicago Bulls 3-6
14. Washington Wizards 2-6
15. New York Knicks 2-7
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers 7-1
2. Denver Nuggets 6-2
3. Los Angeles Clippers 6-3
4. Utah Jazz 6-3
5. Houston Rockets 5-3
6. Phoenix Suns 5-3
7. San Antonio Spurs 5-3
8. Dallas Mavericks 5-3
9. Minnesota Timberwolves 5-3
10. Oklahoma City Thunder 3-5
11. Portland Trail Blazers 3-6
12. Sacramento Kings 3-6
13. Memphis Grizzlies 2-6
14. Golden State Warriors 2-7
15. New Orleans Pelicans 1-7