By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With NBA commissioner Adam Silver in attendance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers, 135-120, behind Jamal Murray pouring in 52 points. “He was making some really good moves. So, it was fun to watch for sure,” mentioned Nikola Jokic, answering a question about 28-year-old Murray in a postgame media session. Initially listed as probable to play in Indianapolis due to a recent left wrist sprain, the 30-year-old Serbian center neared yet another triple-double with 24 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and one block over 35:17. Lithuanian reserve Jonas Valanciunas logged 11:02, tallying nine points, three rebounds, and one steal.
Snapping a five-game losing streak in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, the Los Angeles Clippers took down the Atlanta Hawks, 115-92, in State Farm Arena. Croatian Ivica Zubac posted a 14-point, 17-rebound double-double, and French Nicolas Batum registered six points, but Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser did not score and Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hip contusion) stayed on injury list. The Hawks kept Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (illness) on the sidelines, and Serbian Nikola Djurisic and Spanish Eli Ndiaye on G League assignments with the College Park Skyhawks, but French starter Zaccharie Risacher went for 11 points and Czech reserve Vit Krejci had five points.
Luke Kornet blocking a game-winning effort by Franz Wagner at the buzzer secured a 114-112 victory for the San Antonio Spurs against the Orlando Magic in Kia Center, and a seventh win in nine outings without French Victor Wembanyama (left calf strain). Polish Jeremy Sochan contributed four points. For the hosts, Franz netted a team-high 25 points, with fellow German starter, Tristan da Silva at 12 points, and Georgian reserve Goga Bitadze chipping in eight points, but French Noah Penda did not score, and German Moritz Wagner (left knee injury recovery) remained sidelined.
Turkish Alperen Sengun combined a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, including his 5,000th career point, plus four steals and three assists, fueling a comfortable win, 121-95, for the Houston Rockets over the Sacramento Kings in Toyota Center. Swiss reserve Clint Capela threw in four more points. With Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (left knee partial meniscus tear) and German Dennis Schroder (right hip flexor strain) stuck on the injury list, French Maxime Raynaud produced 25 points. Also, Croatian Dario Saric did not leave the Kings bench.
Russian Egor Demin reached ten points, with Israelis Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf at eight and six points for the Brooklyn Nets in a win, 113-103, over the Chicago Bulls in United Center. Out of the lineup for Spanish head coach Jordi Fernandez, French Nolan Traore stayed on his Long Island Nets assignment. On the wrong end, Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic posted a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Lithuanian Matas Buzelis got 14 points, but French Noa Essengue (left shoulder contusion) was out.
In Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks beat the Charlotte Hornets, 119-104. French Guerschon Yabusele, Mohamed Diawara, and Pacome Dadiet played but did not score, similar to German Ariel Hukporti, but British Tosan Evbuomwan was inactive alongside fellow British import, O.G. Anunoby (left hamstring strain). On the losing end, French Tidjane Salaun piled up 13 points off the bench, and fellow French teammate Moussa Diabate got two points in a start.
Playing through a left ankle sprain, Israeli Deni Avdija recorded a team-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal, pushing the Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-110 victory versus the Cleveland Cavaliers in Rocket Arena. Fellow starters, Belgian Toumani Camara and French Sidy Cissoko, added 17 and 11 points, respectively, but French reserve Rayan Rupert did not score.
Swedish Pelle Larsson overcame a right toe sprain to start for the Miami Heat but was held to five points in a loss, 118-108, to the Dallas Mavericks in American Airlines Center. Italian Simone Fontecchio ended up with eight points, but Serbian Nikola Jovic did not score, Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis did not play, and Russian Vladislav Goldin did not suit up.
Wednesday results
Cleveland Cavaliers – Portland Trail Blazers 110-122
Indiana Pacers – Denver Nuggets 120-135
Orlando Magic – San Antonio Spurs 112-114
Atlanta Hawks – Los Angeles Clippers 92-115
New York Knicks – Charlotte Hornets 119-104
Chicago Bulls – Brooklyn Nets 103-113
Houston Rockets – Sacramento Kings 121-95
Milwaukee Bucks – Detroit Pistons 113-109
Dallas Mavericks – Miami Heat 118-108
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 17-5
2. Toronto Raptors 15-7
3. New York Knicks 14-7
4. Miami Heat 14-8
5. Orlando Magic 13-9
6. Boston Celtics 12-9
7. Cleveland Cavaliers 13-10
8. Atlanta Hawks 13-10
9. Philadelphia 76ers 11-9
10. Milwaukee Bucks 10-13
11. Chicago Bulls 9-12
12. Charlotte Hornets 6-16
13. Brooklyn Nets 5-16
14. Indiana Pacers 4-18
15. Washington Wizards 3-17
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 21-1
2. Los Angeles Lakers 15-5
3. Houston Rockets 14-5
4. Denver Nuggets 15-6
5. San Antonio Spurs 15-6
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 13-8
7. Phoenix Suns 13-9
8. Golden State Warriors 11-11
9. Portland Trail Blazers 9-13
10. Memphis Grizzlies 9-13
11. Utah Jazz 7-13
12. Dallas Mavericks 8-15
13. Los Angeles Clippers 6-16
14. Sacramento Kings 5-17
15. New Orleans Pelicans 3-19
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins