By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After falling into a double-digit deficit, the Toronto Raptors dominated the second half to prevail, 122-109, over the Sacramento Kings in Golden 1 Center on Wednesday. Austrian Jakob Poeltl (lower back strain) remained out for Serbian play-caller Darko Rajakovic, but Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili started and delivered 22 points on 8/14 from the field, nine rebounds, and four assists over 32:20. On the wrong end, with Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (left knee injury management) resting, German Dennis Schroder tallied 16 points, three assists, and one rebound, French Maxime Raynaud went for eight points, seven rebounds, and two assists, and Croatian Dario Saric stayed on the bench.
Elsewhere in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, Czech Vit Krejci packed seven points, two rebounds, and one assist over 10:53 as the only active European player in FedExForum, with the Atlanta Hawks edging out the Memphis Grizzlies, 124-122. Sidelined teammates stretched from French Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone contusion) and Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles tendinitis) to Serbian Nikola Djurisic on assignment to the G League’s College Park Skyhawks. For the team coached by Finnish Tuomas Iisalo, Spanish Santi Aldama (right knee soreness) was ruled out.
“We got that rebound with 6.8 seconds left. It was a non-contested rebound. Jaylen [Wells] was able to push it. Unfortunately, that pass, we got it to Ja [Morant], I think at three and a half seconds or so. Those are the decisions you have to make during the game,” said 43-year-old Iisalo in a postgame press conference on opting against an on-court timeout to set up the final possession with a two-point deficit.
Portuguese starter Neemias Queta piled up 17 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, and one steal for the Boston Celtics in a win, 119-104, over the Indiana Pacers. Off the bench in TD Garden, Bosnian Luka Garza paired eight points with six rebounds, and Spanish Hugo Gonzalez added five points plus two rebounds, but British Amari Williams did not get on the board, and Ukrainian Max Shulga was left out of the lineup.
Despite being cleared from left Achilles tendinopathy, Tidjane Salaun did not play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Spectrum Center. However, fellow French import Moussa Diabate retained starter status to register four points, five rebounds, three blocks, and one steal for the Charlotte Hornets in a loss, 94-87.
With Croatian Karlo Matkovic at five points, two rebounds, and one block over 14:19, the New Orleans Pelicans never led en route to a 112-104 defeat versus the Detroit Pistons in Smoothie King Center. Swedish Bobi Klintman stayed with the affiliate of the Pistons, Motor City Cruise.
Recording the most lopsided victory in franchise history, the New York Knicks embarrassed the Brooklyn Nets, 120-66. French Mohamed Diawara had seven points, British OG Anunoby put five points, French Guerschon Yabusele and German Ariel Hukporti got two points each, and French Pacome Dadiet did not score.
For the team coached by Spanish Jordi Fernandez, Russian Egor Demin reached six points, Israeli Danny Wolf had three points, French Nolan Traore finished without a point, and Israeli Ben Saraf remained with the Long Island Nets.
Wednesday results
Charlotte Hornets – Cleveland Cavaliers 87-94
Boston Celtics – Indiana Pacers 119-104
New York Knicks – Brooklyn Nets 120-66
Memphis Grizzlies – Atlanta Hawks 122-124
New Orleans Pelicans – Detroit Pistons 104-112
Milwaukee Bucks – Oklahoma City Thunder 102-122
Sacramento Kings – Toronto Raptors 109-122
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 32-10
2. Boston Celtics 27-16
3. New York Knicks 26-18
4. Toronto Raptors 27-19
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 25-20
6. Philadelphia 76ers 23-19
7. Orlando Magic 23-19
8. Miami Heat 23-21
9. Chicago Bulls 21-22
10. Atlanta Hawks 21-25
11. Milwaukee Bucks 18-25
12. Charlotte Hornets 16-28
13. Brooklyn Nets 12-30
14. Washington Wizards 10-32
15. Indiana Pacers 10-35
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 37-8
2. San Antonio Spurs 30-14
3. Denver Nuggets 29-15
4. Houston Rockets 26-15
5. Los Angeles Lakers 26-16
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 27-17
7. Phoenix Suns 27-17
8. Golden State Warriors 25-20
9. Portland Trail Blazers 22-22
10. Los Angeles Clippers 19-24
11. Memphis Grizzlies 18-24
12. Dallas Mavericks 18-26
13. Utah Jazz 15-29
14. Sacramento Kings 12-33
15. New Orleans Pelicans 10-36
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins