By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
During the NBA night, Simone Fontecchio had his best moment since he left the EuroLeague and Baskonia to start his American adventure with the Utah Jazz.
The Italian forward dunked the game-winning shot for his team against the Golden State Warriors, ending the game with 18 points and 3 rebounds off the bench.
The Jazz won 124-123 at home.
The best European player of the night, without many surprises, was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 35 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in Milwaukee’s 126-113 easy win against Sacramento.
Domantas Sabonis came close to another triple-double with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, but it was just a losing effort.
Elsewhere, another Italian had a great night. Paolo Banchero lifted the Orlando Magic against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 23 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the 116-111 OT victory.
The Wagner brothers continued to shine, as Mo recorded a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Franz had 15 points and 6 rebounds.
For the Californian franchise, both Nicolas Batum and Ivica Zubac started the game. The French forward had 16 points and 5 assists, while the Croatian center had yet again another double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Another French player, instead, had a monstrous game against the Indiana Pacers to give Minnesota the 121-115 win. Rudy Gobert registered a double-double of 16 points and 21 rebounds.
The naturalized British forward O.G. Anunoby was decisive for the Toronto Raptors in the 126-113 win against the Los Angeles Lakers. He had 23 points and 6 rebounds.
In the clash between European centers, Nikola Vucevic had the better of Kristaps Porzingis. Chicago beat Washington 115-111 with 25 points and 11 rebounds by the Montenegrin player, while the Latvian leader had 28 points and 9 rebounds on the losing side.
Results of the NBA Night with the rest of the European players:
Orlando Magic – Los Angeles Clippers 116-111 OT
Brooklyn Nets – Charlotte Hornets 122-116
New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 113-89 (Capela 13 p, 11 r; Bogdanovic 9 p)
Toronto Raptors – Los Angeles Lakers 126-113
Chicago Bulls – Washington Wizards 115-111
Memphis Grizzlies – Oklahoma City Thunder 123-102 (Aldama 14 p, 5 r; Pokusevski 10 p)
Milwaukee Bucks – Sacramento Kings 126-113
Minnesota Timberwolves – Indiana Pacers 121-115
New Orleans Pelicans – Detroit Pistons 104-98 (Valanciunas 14 p, 12 r; Hayes 17 p, 12 r)
Utah Jazz – Golden State Warriors 124-123
Phoenix Suns – Boston Celtics 98-125
Standings:
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics 21-5
2. Milwaukee Bucks 18-6
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 16-9
4. Brooklyn Nets 14-12
5. Atlanta Hawks 13-12
6. Indiana Pacers 13-12
7. Toronto Raptors 13-12
8. Philadelphia 76ers 12-12
9. New York Knicks 12-13
10. Miami Heat 11-14
11. Washington Wizards 11-14
12. Chicago Bulls 10-14
13. Charlotte Hornets 7-18
14. Detroit Pistons 7-20
15. Orlando Magic 6-20
Western Conference
1. New Orleans Pelicans 16-8
2. Phoenix Suns 16-9
3. Memphis Grizzlies 16-9
4. Denver Nuggets 14-10
5. Sacramento Kings 13-10
6. Utah Jazz 15-12
7. Dallas Mavericks 13-11
8. Portland Trail Blazers 13-11
9. Los Angeles Clippers 14-12
10. Golden State Warriors 13-13
11. Minnesota Timberwolves 12-12
12. Oklahoma City Thunder 11-14
13. Los Angeles Lakers 10-14
14. Houston Rockets 7-17
15. San Antonio Spurs 6-18
-Top six teams of each conference advance directly to Playoffs
-Teams seeded 7th to 10th will compete in Play-In tournament
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images