By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
With five games on the schedule between Thursday and Friday, only a handful of European players were in action — and Lauri Markkanen stole the spotlight.
The Finnish sharpshooter led the Utah Jazz to a 123–110 road win over the Brooklyn Nets, dropping 30 points on 11/18 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds. Svi Mykhailiuk followed with 10 points.
For Brooklyn, Ben Saraf scored 12 points, while Egor Demin was limited to just three in under 19 minutes.
Luka Dončić returned to Slovenia for the birth of his second child, but the Los Angeles Lakers still pulled out a dramatic win.
Led by Austin Reaves, the Lakers edged Darko Rajaković’s Toronto Raptors 123–120 on the road, with Rui Hachimura hitting the game-winner at the buzzer. Reaves exploded for 44 points and nine assists, while LeBron James scored only eight, ending his streak of double-digit scoring games at 1,297.
Elsewhere, Rudy Gobert posted a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 125–116 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Karlo Matković had eight points and six rebounds for the hosts.
The Boston Celtics cruised past the Washington Wizards 146–101, with Neemias Queta scoring 17 and Hugo González adding 14 points and five rebounds, while Luka Garza chipped in five. On the other side, Tristan Vukčević had 10 points and four boards in under 12 minutes.
NBA results & standings:
Philadelphia 76ers – Golden State Warriros 99-98
Washington Wizards – Boston Celtics 101-146
Brooklyn Nets – Utah Jazz 110-123
Toronto Raptors – LA Lakers 120-123
New Orleans Pelicans – Minnesota Timberwolves 116-125
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 17-5
2. New York Knicks 14-7
3. Toronto Raptors 15-8
4. Miami Heat 14-8
5. Boston Celtics 13-9
6. Orlando Magic 13-9
7. Philadelphia 76ers 12-9
8. Cleveland Cavaliers 13-10
9. Atlanta Hawks 13-10
10. Milwaukee Bucks 10-13
11. Chicago Bulls 9-12
12. Charlotte Hornets 6-16
13. Brooklyn Nets 5-17
14. Indiana Pacers 4-18
15. Washington Wizards 3-18
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 21-1
2. Los Angeles Lakers 16-5
3. Houston Rockets 14-5
4. Denver Nuggets 15-6
5. San Antonio Spurs 15-6
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 14-8
7. Phoenix Suns 13-9
8. Golden State Warriors 11-12
9. Portland Trail Blazers 9-13
10. Memphis Grizzlies 9-13
11. Utah Jazz 8-13
12. Dallas Mavericks 8-15
13. Los Angeles Clippers 6-16
14. Sacramento Kings 5-17
15. New Orleans Pelicans 3-20
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins