By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Spoiling a career night of Santi Aldama, the Washington Wizards rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 130-122, in FedExForum on Saturday.
Coming off the bench for the team coached by Finnish Tuomas Iisalo and lasting nearly 36 minutes, the 24-year-old Spanish forward/center netted 15/23 field goals, including five from beyond the arc, to set his career high at 37 points, besides shaping a double-double with ten rebounds to go with two assists, one block, and one steal. Starting for the visitors, French Alex Sarr tallied an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double plus two assists and one block in 26 minutes, but Serbian Tristan Vukcevic did not check in, and French Bilal Coulibaly (left ankle sprain) was left out of the lineup.
A first NBA double-double for Spanish Hugo Gonzalez with ten points and ten rebounds, featured in a comfortable win, 112-96, for the Boston Celtics against the Toronto Raptors in Scotiabank Arena. “It’s what everyone told me, like, you can’t be tired because you’re 19. So I tried to bring the energy. We’re doing a great job, and it’s easy to me to have great energy when the team is also helping, and everyone is engaged in the game, and everyone wants the guy next to him to be successful,” he mentioned in a postgame interview.
Fellow reserve, Bosnian Luka Garza, combined 12 points with ten rebounds, and Portuguese starter Neemias Queta scored 14 points, but British Amari Williams and Ukrainian Max Shulga remained on assignment with G League affiliate, Maine Celtics. For the team coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic on the way to 17-12 in the Regular Season, Austrian Jakob Poeltl (lower back injury management) sat out a second straight game, but Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili set his personal best for the 2025-26 campaign at 24 points.
Israeli Deni Avdija combined a 24-point, 11-assist double-double with seven assists, powering the Portland Trail Blazers to a win, 98-93, versus the Sacramento Kings in Golden 1 Center. Fellow starter, Belgian Toumani Camara, threw in 15 points, with French reserves Sidy Cissoko and Rayan Rupert at one and zero points, respectively. On the wrong end, German Dennis Schroder recorded a team-high 21 points, and French Maxime Raynaud logged a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double, but Croatian Dario Saric did not score, and Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (left knee partial meniscus tear) remained sidelined.
Missing Germans Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain), Tristan da Silva (right shoulder contusion), and Moritz Wagner (left knee injury recovery), the Orlando Magic prevailed, 128-127, over the Utah Jazz in Delta Center behind Desmond Bane beating the buzzer in overtime. French Noah Penda posted his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Georgian Goga Bitadze added five points. For the hosts, Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk got 23 points, but Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic had four points, and Finnish Lauri Markkanen (right groin injury management) was out.
French reserves, Tidjane Salaun and Moussa Diabate, went from eight to one point with the Charlotte Hornets falling, 112-86, to the Detroit Pistons in Little Caesars Arena. Swedish Bobi Klintman was assigned to the Motor City Cruise by the Eastern Conference leaders.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors edged out the Phoenix Suns, 119-116, in Chase Center. Dutch starter Quinten Post registered seven points, but fellow Dutch import Malevy Leons was inactive.
Croatian Karlo Matkovic contributed six points to a win, 128-109, for the New Orleans Pelicans over the Indiana Pacers in Smoothie King Center.
In Xfinity Mobile Arena, Turkish Adem Bona chipped in ten points as the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Dallas Mavericks, 121-114.
Saturday results
Denver Nuggets – Houston Rockets 101-115
Philadelphia 76ers – Dallas Mavericks 121-114
Toronto Raptors – Boston Celtics 96-112
New Orleans Pelicans – Indiana Pacers 128-109
Detroit Pistons – Charlotte Hornets 112-86
Memphis Grizzlies – Washington Wizards 122-130
Golden State Warriors – Phoenix Suns 119-116
Utah Jazz – Orlando Magic 127-128 OT (118-118)
Sacramento Kings – Portland Trail Blazers 93-98
Los Angeles Clippers – Los Angeles Lakers 103-88
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 22-6
2. New York Knicks 19-8
3. Boston Celtics 17-11
4. Philadelphia 76ers 16-11
5. Toronto Raptors 17-12
6. Orlando Magic 16-12
7. Miami Heat 15-13
8. Cleveland Cavaliers 15-14
9. Atlanta Hawks 15-14
10. Chicago Bulls 12-15
11. Milwaukee Bucks 11-17
12. Charlotte Hornets 9-19
13. Brooklyn Nets 7-19
14. Indiana Pacers 6-22
15. Washington Wizards 5-21
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 25-3
2. Denver Nuggets 20-7
3. San Antonio Spurs 20-7
4. Los Angeles Lakers 19-8
5. Houston Rockets 17-8
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 18-10
7. Phoenix Suns 15-13
8. Golden State Warriors 14-15
9. Memphis Grizzlies 13-15
10. Portland Trail Blazers 12-16
11. Dallas Mavericks 11-18
12. Utah Jazz 10-17
13. Los Angeles Clippers 7-21
14. New Orleans Pelicans 7-22
15. Sacramento Kings 6-22
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins