By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Austin Reaves poured in a career-high 51 points, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers to a win, 127-120, against the Sacramento Kings in Golden 1 Center on Sunday. Sidelined with a left finger sprain and lower leg contusion, Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic was unavailable for head coach JJ Redick. German Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) was already on the growing injury list, which includes LeBron James. For the hosts, German Dennis Schroder posted an 18-point, 12-assist double-double, and Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis paired his ten points with 14 rebounds. Croatian reserve Dario Saric was held one missed shot over 4:28, but French Maxime Raynaud did not leave the bench.
In Intuit Dome, the Los Angeles Clippers took down the Portland Trail Blazers, 114-107. Kawhi Leonard dropped 30 points, and Croatian Ivica Zubac followed with 21 points. Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic made his first appearance in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season with a start, but missed four shots and went scoreless. Coming off the bench, French Nicolas Batum registered three points, but Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser did not play. On Tiago Splitter’s side, Israeli Deni Avdija tallied a team-high 23 points, Belgian Toumani Camara ended up with five points, French Rayan Rupert stayed on the bench, and French Sidy Cissoko remained out of the lineup.
Italian Simone Fontecchio got 14 points for the Miami Heat in a 115-107 victory versus the New York Knicks in Kaseya Center. Serbian Nikola Jovic and Swedish Pelle Larsson put in six and one points, but Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) and Russian Vladislav Goldin were inactive. With French Guerschon Yabusele forced to an early exit due to injury, after putting up two points, British O.G. Anunoby went for 14 points for the Knicks, but German Ariel Hukporti did not score, French Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara stayed on the bench, and British Tosan Evbuomwan did not suit up.
Hugo Gonzalez starts
Overcoming Jaylen Brown’s 41 points, the Detroit Pistons beat the Boston Celtics, 119-113, in Little Caesars Arena. In his first career start, Spanish Hugo Gonzalez lasted 18:23 but recorded two steals, one block, and one rebound, without scoring. Portuguese starter Neemias Queta had four points, and Bosnian Luka Garza bounced back from the concussion protocol with two points, but Ukrainian Max Shulga and British Amari Williams were left off the lineup. On the winning side, Swedish Bobi Klintman did not play.
With LaMelo Ball posting a triple-double and the Charlotte Hornets rallying past the Washington Wizards, 119-113, French Moussa Diabate logged a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, and fellow French reserve Tidjane Salaun threw in four points. For the losing side at Capital One Arena, French Alex Sarr produced 17 of his 21 points in the first half, and Swiss Kyshawn George and Serbian Tristan Vuckevic went for six points apiece, but French Bilal Coulibaly (right hand surgery) remained sidelined.
Gobert double-doubles
Anthony Edwards was forced to an early exit due to hamstring tightness, but the Minnesota Timberwolves held on to defeat the Indiana Pacers, 114-110, in Target Center. French Rudy Gobert put in an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double to go with two blocks and one assist, and Italian fellow starter Donte DiVincenzo added 17 more points. French Joan Beringer did not step into the game.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors, coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic, fell to the Dallas Mavericks, 139-129, in American Airlines Center. Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili netted 16 points behind 6/8 field goals off the bench, and Austrian starter Jakob Poeltl had four points.
Sunday results
San Antonio Spurs – Brooklyn Nets 118-107
Detroit Pistons – Boston Celtics 119-113
Cleveland Cavaliers – Milwaukee Bucks 118-113
Miami Heat – New York Knicks 115-107
Washington Wizards – Charlotte Hornets 113-139
Minnesota Timberwolves – Indiana Pacers 114-110
Dallas Mavericks – Toronto Raptors 139-129
Los Angeles Clippers – Portland Trail Blazers 114-107
Sacramento Kings – Los Angeles Lakers 120-127
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Chicago Bulls 2-0
2. Philadelphia 76ers 2-0
3. Charlotte Hornets 2-1
4. Miami Heat 2-1
5. New York Knicks 2-1
6. Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1
7. Milwaukee Bucks 2-1
8. Detroit Pistons 2-1
9. Toronto Raptors 1-2
10. Atlanta Hawks 1-2
11. Orlando Magic 1-2
12. Washington Wizards 1-2
13. Boston Celtics 0-3
14. Brooklyn Nets 0-3
15. Indiana Pacers 0-3
Western Conference
1. San Antonio Spurs 3-0
2. Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0
3. Golden State Warriors 2-1
4. Los Angeles Lakers 2-1
5. Minnesota Timberwolves 2-1
6. Memphis Grizzlies 2-1
7. Los Angeles Clippers 2-1
8. Utah Jazz 1-1
9. Denver Nuggets 1-1
10. Phoenix Suns 1-2
11. Sacramento Kings 1-2
12. Portland Trail Blazers 1-2
13. Dallas Mavericks 1-2
14. New Orleans Pelicans 0-2
15. Houston Rockets 0-2
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins