By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
All 30 NBA teams were in action last night, and European players took center stage with dominant performances.
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Detroit Pistons on the road, 125–119, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way.
The Greek international recorded a triple-double, finishing with 32 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds to guide the Bucks to victory and 5th place on the Eastern conference standings.
Nikola Jokic also notched a triple-double, pushing the Denver Nuggets to a crucial 117–109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Serbian center scored some key buckets down the stretch and ended the night with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 assists. On the other side, Santi Aldama had eight points for the Grizzlies.
Nikola Jokić will average a triple-double for the season, after reaching more than 700 assists, assuring him of averaging no worse than 10 assists. The other players to average a triple-double for a full season: Russell Westbrook, Jokić’s current Denver teammate, and Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
Luka Dončić also shined, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a dominant 140–109 win over the Houston Rockets, even though he didn’t record a triple-double.
The Slovenian star finished with 39 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, as the Lakers secured their 50th win of the season.
Rudy Gobert tied his career-high with 35 points in a 117–91 win over the Brooklyn Nets, also grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Frenchman shot 13-of-17 from the field, and interestingly, his two highest-scoring games have both come against New York teams.
Elsewhere, Matas Buzelis had 20 points and six rebounds in a 119–89 win over the Washington Wizards.
Nikola Vučević followed with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, going up against Tristan Vukčević, who scored 17 points for the Wizards. Kyshawn George added 11, and Alex Sarr chipped in with seven points.
The LA Clippers edged out the Sacramento Kings 101–100, with Ivica Zubac recording another double-double: 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Bogdan Bogdanović, facing his former team, added just two points.
On the other side, Domantas Sabonis posted 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Jonas Valančiūnas added nine points and three boards in just 10 minutes of play.