By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Turkish starter Alperen Sengun overcame a brief lower-back issue to record 25 points on 9/13 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in 29 minutes, leading the Houston Rockets to a 119-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center on Wednesday. Swiss backup Clint Capela contributed two points, five rebounds, and one steal. The Rockets overshadowed a 36-point NBA-high display by French starter Ousmane Dieng, who added ten assists, seven rebounds, and one steal for the team coached by Doc Rivers, while Greek reserve Alex Antetokounmpo logged four fruitless minutes as his brothers Giannis and Thanasis remained on the injury list.
Jaylen Brown’s 43 points and Jayson Tatum’s triple-double propelled the Boston Celtics to a 147-129 win against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Portuguese starter Neemias Queta secured a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Bosnian Luka Garza added 12 points off the bench for the C’s, though Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez and Ukraine’s Max Shulga went scoreless, and Montenegro’s Nikola Vucevic remained out with a finger fracture. For Erik Spoelstra’s side, Swedish starter Pelle Larsson tallied 18 points and Italian reserve Simone Fontecchio scored five, while Serbia’s Nikola Jovic, Russia’s Vladislav Goldin, and Lithuania’s Kasparas Jakucionis did not play.
Elsewhere in the 2025-26 Regular Season, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Washington Wizards 153-131 at Capital One Arena, marked by Paul George’s season-high 39 points and a perfect shooting night from Turkish starter Adem Bona, who chipped in 13 points on 5/5 field goals and 3/3 free throws. For the hosts, Serbian Tristan Vukcevic scored 17 points, and Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly added 12, though fellow French import Alex Sarr remained sidelined with a toe injury.
Meanwhile, Austrian starter Jakob Poeltl registered 18 points and Georgian reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili finished with 17 points for Serbian head coach Darko Rajakovic, but the Toronto Raptors still fell 123-115 to the Sacramento Kings at Scotiabank Arena. Sacramento’s French duo of Maxime Raynaud and Killian Hayes combined for 11 points while Lithuanian star Domantas Sabonis remained out.
Despite a combined 37 points from European starters, France’s Guerschon Yabusele and Lithuania’s Matas Buzelis at 20 and 17, respectively, the Chicago Bulls lost 145-126 to the Indiana Pacers at United Center. Both France’s Noa Essengue and Croatia’s Ivica Zubac have been ruled out for the remainder of the season by their respective teams.
Wednesday results
Washington Wizards – Philadelphia 76ers 131-153
Miami Heat – Boston Celtics 129-147
Orlando Magic – Atlanta Hawks 101-130
Memphis Grizzlies – New York Knicks 119-130
Toronto Raptors – Sacramento Kings 115-123
Chicago Bulls – Indiana Pacers 126-145
Houston Rockets – Milwaukee Bucks 119-113
Utah Jazz – Denver Nuggets 117-130
Golden State Warriors – San Antonio Spurs 113-127
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. x-Detroit Pistons 55-21
2. x-Boston Celtics 51-25
3. x-New York Knicks 49-28
4. Cleveland Cavaliers 47-29
5. Atlanta Hawks 44-33
6. Philadelphia 76ers 42-34
7. Toronto Raptors 42-34
8. Charlotte Hornets 40-36
9. Orlando Magic 40-36
10. Miami Heat 40-37
11. o-Milwaukee Bucks 30-46
12. o-Chicago Bulls 29-47
13. o-Indiana Pacers 18-58
14. o-Brooklyn Nets 18-58
15. o-Washington Wizards 17-59
Western Conference
1. x-Oklahoma City Thunder 60-16
2. x-San Antonio Spurs 58-18
3. x-Los Angeles Lakers 50-26
4. x-Denver Nuggets 49-28
5. Houston Rockets 47-29
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 46-29
7. Phoenix Suns 42-34
8. y-Los Angeles Clippers 39-37
9. y-Portland Trail Blazers 39-38
10. y-Golden State Warriors 36-40
11. o-New Orleans Pelicans 25-51
12. o-Memphis Grizzlies 25-51
13. o-Dallas Mavericks 21-56
14. o-Utah Jazz 21-56
15. o-Sacramento Kings 20-57
-Top six teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference enter the Play-Ins
x-clinched playoff berth
y-clinched play-in berth
o-eliminated