By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (illness management) on a long list of absentees, the Atlanta Hawks marched past the Los Angeles Lakers, 122-102, in State Farm Arena on Saturday.
Failing to extend a five-game winning streak in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, Slovenian Luka Doncic went for 22 points behind 7/17 field goals, 11 assists, five rebounds, and one steal over 26:39. German teammate Maxi Kleber made his first season appearance with one point, two blocks, two rebounds, and one assist over 14:27.
“They were at the requisite level of effort and urgency and physicality,” said frustrated head coach JJ Redick on the team showing, in a series of brief replies in a postgame press conference.
On the winning side, Serbian Nikola Djurisic (right elbow sprain) and Spanish Eli Ndiaye were inactive, with French Zaccharie Risacher piling up 19 points, four assists, two steals, and one rebound, and Czech Vit Krejci adding 17 points, three rebounds, one block, and one assist.
In Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Toronto Raptors, 130-120, with Turkish Adem Bona picking up two rebounds and one block. For the team coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic, Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili registered ten points, three rebounds, two steals, two assists, and one block, but Austrian Jakob Poeltl (lower back injury management) was out.
“I thought they did a really good job playing off of each other, finding open shots, pace was really good. We were able to get out in transition, score quite a bit,” reacted 46-year-old Rajakovic.