By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a quick turnaround from setting a new career-high on Saturday, Spanish Santi Aldama repeated a 37-point performance on 13/21 from the field, including seven triples, lifting Finnish boss Tuomas Iisalo and the Memphis Grizzlies over the Utah Jazz, 137-128, in Delta Center on Tuesday. “It definitely feels good to see the ball go through the hoop, but just trying to be aggressive by being patient. That’s what the coaches always talk about. Sometimes it’ll be me, sometimes another teammate, but as long as we get the win, that’s what I care about,” he reacted in a postgame interview. For the hosts, Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk got nine points, with Finnish Lauri Markkanen (right groin injury management) and Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic (rest) out.
Elsewhere in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic combined his 1,000th career appearance with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, including two key free throws with 1.5 seconds on the clock, pushing the Chicago Bulls to a 126-123 victory versus the Atlanta Hawks in State Farm Arena. Fellow starter, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis, finished with 15 points after exiting midway through the fourth quarter due to injury, with French Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery) already out. The Hawks missed Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Spanish Eli Ndiaye (left shoulder surgery), and Serbian Nikola Djurisic was inactive as well, but Czech Vit Krejci netted 19 points off the bench, and French starter Zaccharie Risacher went for ten points.
Despite Georgian Goga Bitadze (left knee strain) entering the injury list alongside Germans Tristan da Silva (right shoulder contusion), Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain), and Moritz Wagner (left knee injury recovery), the Orlando Magic edged out the Portland Trail Blazers, 110-106, in Moda Center. French Noah Penda chipped in eight points. For the hosts, Israeli Deni Avdija recorded a game-high 25 points. Fellow starter, Belgian Toumani Camara, reached ten points, and French reserves Sidy Cissoko and Rayan Rupert at five and two points, respectively.
Behind 41 points by Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers overpowered the Houston Rockets, 128-108, in Intuit Dome. French Nicolas Batum chipped in six points, and Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic and Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser added three points each, coming off the bench for the team coached by Tyronn Lue. Croatian Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain) was sidelined. A 19-point, 11-rebound double-double by Turkish Alperen Sengun was not enough for the visitors, with Swiss backup Clint Capela producing two points.
An 11-point, 16-rebound double-double by French Rudy Gobert helped the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New York Knicks, 115-104, in Target Center. Fellow starter, Italian Donte DiVincenzo, chipped in 11 points, but French Joan Beringer did not play. Without British OG Anunoby (left ankle soreness) and French Guerschon Yabusele (illness), the visitors featured French Mohamed Diawara at three points and German Ariel Hukporti at two points, but French Pacome Dadiet and British Tosan Evbuomwan did not score.
Without Austrian Jakob Poeltl (low back strain), Serbian Darko Rajakovic guided the Toronto Raptors to a win, 112-91, over the Miami Heat in Kaseya Center. Georgian starter Sandro Mamukelashvili put in 14 points. Reserve options for Erik Spoelstra featured Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis getting seven points and Italian Simone Fontecchio registering five points, but Serbian Nikola Jovic (right elbow contusion/laceration) and Swedish Pelle Larsson (left ankle sprain) were unavailable, and Russian Vladislav Goldin was inactive.
Entering the starting lineup, French Moussa Diabate made 6/6 en route to a 12-point, 18-rebound double-double, and French reserve Tidjane Salaun added 11 points for the Charlotte Hornets in a win, 126-109, against the Washington Wizards. French Bilal Coulibaly returned from a left ankle sprain with 14 points, and fellow French starter Alex Sarr combined seven points with 11 rebounds and four blocks, but Serbian Tristan Vukcevic was limited to two fruitless minutes.
Russian starter Egor Demin was among the top performers for Spanish play-caller Jordi Fernandez, producing 20 points as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 114-106, in Xfinity Mobile Arena. Off the bench, French Nolan Traore and Israeli Danny Wolf added five and three points, but Israeli Ben Saraf did not play, despite being cleared from a right ankle sprain. For the Sixers, Turkish Adem Bona had four points.
In Golden 1 Center, the Detroit Pistons held on for a win, 136-127, opposite the Sacramento Kings, with Swedish Bobi Klintman staying on his G League assignment with the Motor City Cruise. For the losing side, German reserve Dennis Schroder netted ten points and French starter Maxime Raynaud reached eight points, but Croatian Dario Saric did not check in, and Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus tear) remained sidelined.
Without Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain) for a seventh consecutive outing, the Milwaukee Bucks knocked down the Indiana Pacers, 111-94, in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Freak’s brothers went from Thanasis staying on the bench to Alex being assigned to the Wisconsin Herd.
After ruling out Slovenian Luka Doncic (lower left leg contusion), the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a blowout loss, 132-108, to the Phoenix Suns in Mortgage Matchup Center. German Maxi Kleber registered two points for JJ Redick’s side.
Croatian Karlo Matkovic scoring two points for the New Orleans Pelicans, shaped the single European action in Rocket Arena, with the Cleveland Cavaliers prevailing, 141-118.
Tuesday results
Charlotte Hornets – Washington Wizards 126-103
Philadelphia 76ers – Brooklyn Nets 106-114
Atlanta Hawks – Chicago Bulls 123-126
Cleveland Cavaliers – New Orleans Pelicans 141-118
Indiana Pacers – Milwaukee Bucks 94-111
Miami Heat – Toronto Raptors 91-112
Dallas Mavericks – Denver Nuggets 131-130
Minnesota Timberwolves – New York Knicks 115-104
San Antonio Spurs – Oklahoma City Thunder 130-110
Phoenix Suns – Los Angeles Lakers 132-108
Utah Jazz – Memphis Grizzlies 128-137
Portland Trail Blazers – Orlando Magic 106-110
Sacramento Kings – Detroit Pistons 127-136
Los Angeles Clippers – Houston Rockets 128-108
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 24-6
2. New York Knicks 20-9
3. Boston Celtics 18-11
4. Toronto Raptors 18-13
5. Philadelphia 76ers 16-12
6. Orlando Magic 17-13
7. Cleveland Cavaliers 17-14
8. Miami Heat 15-15
9. Atlanta Hawks 15-16
10. Chicago Bulls 14-15
11. Milwaukee Bucks 12-18
12. Charlotte Hornets 10-20
13. Brooklyn Nets 9-19
14. Indiana Pacers 6-24
15. Washington Wizards 5-23
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 26-4
2. San Antonio Spurs 22-7
3. Denver Nuggets 21-8
4. Los Angeles Lakers 19-9
5. Minnesota Timberwolves 20-10
6. Houston Rockets 17-10
7. Phoenix Suns 16-13
8. Golden State Warriors 15-15
9. Memphis Grizzlies 14-16
10. Portland Trail Blazers 12-18
11. Dallas Mavericks 12-19
12. Utah Jazz 10-19
13. Los Angeles Clippers 8-21
14. New Orleans Pelicans 8-23
15. Sacramento Kings 7-23
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins