By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The NBA Preseason 2026 continued on Sunday with a strong international flavor as European standouts made noise in Boulder and Honolulu.
In Colorado, the Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets 109–97 at the CU Events Center. Lauri Markkanen powered the attack. The Finnish forward locked in a game-high 17 points in less than 14 minutes, flashing his range by burying three shots from deep. Starting alongside him, Bosnian big Jusuf Nurkic stuffed the stat sheet with four points, five rebounds, and four assists. The perimeter got an extra boost from Ukraine’s Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who came off the bench to sink three triples for a quick nine points.
The hosts chose to rest star guard James Murray. They were also missing backup power forward Spencer Jones, who is sidelined with a left hamstring strain. Nuggets head coach David Adelman urged patience with his recovery, stating the main goal is simply getting him healthy for the regular-season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even in a losing effort, Serbian maestro Nikola Jokic put on a passing clinic for the fans, dishing out seven assists to go with three points, three rebounds, one block, and one steal in his brief 15-minute stint.
Clippers edge Warriors in Hawaii
Across the Pacific, the Los Angeles Clippers snuck past the Golden State Warriors 104–101 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
While Rui Hachimura carried the scoring load with 21 points, European prospects stole some of the spotlight. Spanish rookie Baba Miller made an immediate impact off the bench. The former Real Madrid prospect electrified the crowd with several athletic sequences, hovering around the rim to log nine points and six rebounds. Italian-heritage forward Nick Martinelli chipped in five points to steady the second unit, while Swiss center Yanic Konan Niederhauser sat out as he heals from foot surgery. The friendly win came with an additional setback, with Max Strus forced to an early exit due to a right foot injury.
On the wrong end, Dutch Malevy Leons maximized his nine minutes on the floor to chip in eight points. Head coach Steve Kerr had to navigate the game without Latvian center Kristaps Porzingis, who remained unavailable.
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