By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Italian reserve Simone Fontecchio tucked in six three-pointers and upgraded his personal best for the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season to 23 points, but the Miami Heat fell to the Orlando Magic, 133-124, in Kaseya Center on Wednesday.
“I was trying to be aggressive as usual. The ball was going in, and guys were finding me open,” noted the 30-year-old forward in a postgame media session. Starting for Erik Spoelstra’s side, Swedish Pelle Larsson and Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis ranged from eight to to points as starters, and Serbian Nikola Jovic had two points off the bench, but Russian Vladislav Goldin stayed with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. Despite missing German Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management) for a fourth consecutive outing, the Magic snapped a four-game losing streak. German Tristan da Silva tallied 12 points, with French Noah Penda and German Moritz Wagner at three points each, but Georgian Goga Bitadze was held to a DNP for a second game in a row.
Facing the Toronto Raptors, his former team with the spell being headlined by an NBA championship, British OG Anunoby connected 26 points, alongside six steals, five assists, three rebounds, and two blocks, helping the New York Knicks prevail, 119-92, in Scotiabank Arena. Coming off the bench for head coach Mike Brown, French Guerschon Yabusele got four points, German Ariel Hukporti reached two points, and French Mohamed Diawara did not score, but French Pacome Dadiet was assigned to the Westchester Knicks. For the team coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic, Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili netted nine points, and Austrian Jakob Poeltl (lower back strain) remained out.
Without French Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone contusion) and Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles tendinitis), the Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics, 117-106, in TD Garden. Czech Vit Krejci contributed five points, but Serbian Nikola Djurisic stuck to his assignment with the affiliate, College Park Skyhawks. With Portuguese Neemias Queta (illness) sidelined by the hosts, British Amari Williams started and got two points in 15 minutes, with Bosnian Luka Garza returning from an illness with 11 points, and Spanish Hugo Gonzalez finishing with ten points. In contrast, Ukrainian Max Shulga was inactive.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors made 23/54 from beyond the arc in a 140-124 victory versus the Utah Jazz in Delta Center. Behind two triples, Dutch Quinten Post reached ten points, but fellow Dutch import Malevy Leons did not get on the board. Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic (illness) returning to action was among three European starters for head coach Will Hardy, and scored 11 points, with Finnish Lauri Markkanen at 18 points and Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk at two points.
With French starter Moussa Diabate pairing 18 points and 19 rebounds, the Charlotte Hornets took down the Memphis Grizzlies, 112-97, in FedExForum. “To be honest, nothing really changed,” said the 24-year-old big, downplaying his huge double-double. “Just keep on going. Just being relentless.” Fellow French option for play-caller Charles Lee, Tidjane Salaun, did not enter the rotation. For the team coached by Finnish Tuomas Iisalo, Spanish Santi Aldama (right knee soreness) was a late scratch.
Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic put up 25 points, and Lithuanian Matas Buzelis ended up with 20 points, but the Chicago Bulls lost, 113-110, to the Indiana Pacers in Gainbridge Fieldhouse after a go-ahead layup and game-ending block by Aaron Nesmith. Besides the aforementioned starters, French Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery) has been ruled out for the remainder of the season since early December.
Italian Donte DiVincenzo registered eight points, five steals, five rebounds, and one assist, and fellow starter, French Rudy Gobert, went for six points, six rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and one assist as the Minnesota Timberwolves topped the Dallas Mavericks, 118-105, in American Airlines Center. French reserve Joan Beringer added nine points, four rebounds, one block, and one assist.
Wednesday results
Cleveland Cavaliers – Los Angeles Lakers 129-99
Indiana Pacers – Chicago Bulls 113-110
Boston Celtics – Atlanta Hawks 106-117
Toronto Raptors – New York Knicks 92-119
Miami Heat – Orlando Magic 124-133
Memphis Grizzlies – Charlotte Hornets 97-112
Dallas Mavericks – Minnesota Timberwolves 105-118
Utah Jazz – Golden State Warriors 124-140
Houston Rockets – San Antonio Spurs 99-111
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 34-11
2. Boston Celtics 29-18
3. New York Knicks 29-18
4. Cleveland Cavaliers 29-20
5. Toronto Raptors 29-20
6. Philadelphia 76ers 25-21
7. Orlando Magic 24-22
8. Miami Heat 25-23
9. Atlanta Hawks 24-25
10. Chicago Bulls 23-24
11. Charlotte Hornets 20-28
12. Milwaukee Bucks 18-27
13. Brooklyn Nets 12-33
14. Indiana Pacers 12-36
15. Washington Wizards 11-34
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 38-10
2. San Antonio Spurs 32-15
3. Denver Nuggets 31-16
4. Houston Rockets 28-17
5. Los Angeles Lakers 28-18
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 29-19
7. Phoenix Suns 28-19
8. Golden State Warriors 27-22
9. Portland Trail Blazers 23-25
10. Los Angeles Clippers 22-24
11. Dallas Mavericks 19-28
12. Memphis Grizzlies 18-27
13. Utah Jazz 15-33
14. Sacramento Kings 12-36
15. New Orleans Pelicans 12-37
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins