NBA results & standings: Jokić’s triple-double not enough against Cavs

By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net

It was another action-packed NBA night, with European players once again delivering strong performances.

Nikola Jokić recorded the 183rd triple-double of his career, but the Denver Nuggets came up short in the final moments as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged them out 119–117.

The Serbian center finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, shooting 6-of-11 from the field. Denver has now lost four of its last five games, dropping to a 34–20 record and third place in the Western Conference standings.

Elsewhere, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara enjoyed outstanding nights in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 135–118 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Camara led all scorers with 30 points, while Avdija narrowly missed a triple-double, posting 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

An interesting clash took place in Florida, where the Miami Heat fell 115–111 to the Utah Jazz. Lauri Markkanen recorded 17 points and eight rebounds for the winners, while Jusuf Nurkić added 10 points and 16 boards. For Miami, Kasparas Jakucionis scored 20 points, with Simone Fontecchio contributing nine points and five rebounds.

Matas Buzelis scored 18 points as the Chicago Bulls lost 123–115 on the road to the Brooklyn Nets. Guerschon Yabusele added three points and two rebounds in just over 22 minutes of action. On the other side, Nolan Traoré posted an impressive double-double with 13 points and 13 assists, while Ben Saraf finished with three points and three assists.

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Atlanta Hawks 138–116, with Rudy Gobert recording 18 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, his compatriot Maxime Raynaud delivered a strong double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds in the Sacramento Kings’ 120–94 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Karlo Matković scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the winning team.

Still without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks were beaten on the road by the Orlando Magic, 118–99, as brothers Moritz and Franz Wagner scored 14 points each.

Isaiah Hartenstein tallied 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 119–110 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were again without Luka Dončić due to injury.

Charlotte Hornets – Detroit Pistons 104–110
Brooklyn Nets – Chicago Bulls 123–115
Miami Heat – Utah Jazz 111–115
Orlando Magic – Milwaukee Bucks 118–99
Minnesota Timberwolves – Atlanta Hawks 138–116
New Orleans Pelicans – Sacramento Kings 120–94
Denver Nuggets – Cleveland Cavaliers 117–119
Golden State Warriors – Memphis Grizzlies 114–113
Los Angeles Lakers – Oklahoma City Thunder 110–119
Portland Trail Blazers – Philadelphia 76ers 135–118

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons 39–13
2. New York Knicks 34–19
3. Boston Celtics 34–19
4. Cleveland Cavaliers 33–21
5. Toronto Raptors 32–22
6. Philadelphia 76ers 30–23
7. Orlando Magic 28–24
8. Miami Heat 28–27
9. Atlanta Hawks 26–29
10. Charlotte Hornets 25–29
11. Chicago Bulls 24–30
12. Milwaukee Bucks 21–30
13. Brooklyn Nets 15–37
14. Washington Wizards 14–38
15. Indiana Pacers 13–40

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 41–13
2. San Antonio Spurs 36–16
3. Denver Nuggets 34–20
4. Houston Rockets 32–19
5. Los Angeles Lakers 32–20
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 33–22
7. Phoenix Suns 31–22
8. Golden State Warriors 29–25
9. Portland Trail Blazers 26–28
10. LA Clippers 25–27
11. Memphis Grizzlies 20–32
12. Dallas Mavericks 19–33
13. Utah Jazz 17–37
14. New Orleans Pelicans 15–40
15. Sacramento Kings 12–43