By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Houston Rockets tipped off their 82-game schedule in the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season with a convincing 128–110 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Toyota Center on Wednesday. Houston completely controlled the game early on, building a massive 37-point lead.
Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. led the offense, scoring 30 points each. Fellow starter, Turkish center Alperen Sengun dominated the paint, putting up 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in five points off the bench, while Swiss Clint Capela went scoreless.
The shorthanded Mavs struggled to find a rhythm. French Zaccharie Risacher managed four points off the bench, but Spanish Sergio de Larrea failed to score. Besides British Tobi Lawal being available but not playing, they missed several key international pieces, as Spanish Santi Aldama and Turkish Tarik Biberovic sat out with injuries.
Schroder, Diabate combine for 36 points
At Barclays Center, the Charlotte Hornets took down the Brooklyn Nets, 110–103. With their European starters setting the tone early, German Dennis Schroder reached 19 points, and French Moussa Diabate tallied 17 points. German Christian Anderson Jr. went scoreless, while French Tidjane Salaun and German Hannes Steinbach stayed on the bench.
For the team led by Spanish Jordi Fernandez, Russian Egor Demin scored four points in a starting role, while German Moritz Wagner and French Nolan Traore added seven and three points off the bench. Israel’s Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf did not see any action.
Also, the Portland Trail Blazers put on a clinic at the Moda Center, routing the Phoenix Suns 124–83. Belgian Toumani Camara finished with 18 points, starting alongside Israeli Deni Avdija, who shook off ankle soreness for an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double. French Sidy Cissoko and Czech Vít Krejci put in three and one point, respectively.
Coulibaly and Zubac
Anthony Davis dominated with 34 points and 12 rebounds to guide the Washington Wizards past the Milwaukee Bucks 128–116. He got plenty of help from his French teammates and fellow starters, as Bilal Coulibaly scored 11 points and Alex Sarr grabbed nine rebounds. Serbian Tristan Vukcevic sat out due to a hip injury.
For the Bucks, Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis scored 15 points off the bench, and French Ousmane Dieng added five. Italian Nate Ament was cleared of an ankle sprain, but did not play. Serbian Bogoljub Markovic stayed on the bench as well.
The Indiana Pacers escaped with a narrow 123–120 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Croatian starter Ivica Zubac racked up 16 points and 15 rebounds for the visitors at Smoothie King Center. His countryman, Karlo Matkovic, did not play for the Pels.
Wagner falls short
After 22 lead changes at Kia Center, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Orlando Magic 132–125. German starter Franz Wagner registered 22 points for the hosts, and fellow German Tristan da Silva added 14 off the bench. Georgian Goga Bitadze had six points, but Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic was held scoreless. Both teams dealt with European injuries, as French Noah Penda and Estonian Henri Veesaar were sidelined.
The Los Angeles Clippers protected home floor at Intuit Dome, cruising to a 121–96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Spanish rookie Baba Miller contributed four points, but Italian Nick Martinelli went scoreless, and Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser remained out.
Sacramento got a standard productive night from Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis, who finished with 14 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists. Israeli Emanuel Sharp had eight points, and Alex Karaban, who is of Belarusian and Ukrainian heritage, got one point. However, the visitors missed French Maxime Raynaud due to a knee injury.
Iisalo, Rajakovic wins
Ty Jerome exploded for a career-high 45 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Utah Jazz 123–103. Dutch Quinten Post added seven points for Finnish head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Finnish star Lauri Markkanen recorded 18 points for Utah, while Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk threw in 10. Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic remained out with a foot injury.
Finally, the Toronto Raptors gave Serbian head coach Darko Rajakovic an easy night with a 135–92 demolition of the Chicago Bulls. Austrian Jakob Poeltl chipped in three points as the four remaining starters crossed the 20-point threshold. Lithuanian starter Matas Buzelis scored 17 points for the Bulls, with French reserve Noa Essengue at one point.
Wednesday games
Washington Wizards – Milwaukee Bucks 128-116
Orlando Magic – Atlanta Hawks 125-132
Brooklyn Nets – Charlotte Hornets 103-110
Miami Heat – Minnesota Timberwolves 105-131
Toronto Raptors – Chicago Bulls 135-92
New Orleans Pelicans – Indiana Pacers 120-123
Memphis Grizzlies – Utah Jazz 123-103
Houston Rockets – Dallas Mavericks 128-110
Portland Trail Blazers – Phoenix Suns 124-83
Los Angeles Lakers – Golden State Warriors 127-105
Los Angeles Clippers – Sacramento Kings 121-96
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Toronto Raptors 1-0
2. Washington Wizards 1-0
3. Detroit Pistons 1-0
4. Atlanta Hawks 1-0
5. Charlotte Hornets 1-0
6. Philadelphia 76ers 1-0
7. Indiana Pacers 1-0
8. Cleveland Cavaliers 0-0
9. New York Knicks 0-1
10. Orlando Magic 0-1
11. Brooklyn Nets 0-1
12. Boston Celtics 0-1
13. Milwaukee Bucks 0-1
14. Miami Heat 0-1
15. Chicago Bulls 0-1
Western Conference
1. Portland Trail Blazers 1-0
2. Minnesota Timberwolves 1-0
3. Los Angeles Clippers 1-0
4. Los Angeles Lakers 1-0
5. Memphis Grizzlies 1-0
6. Houston Rockets 1-0
7. Oklahoma City Thunder 1-0
8. Denver Nuggets 0-0
9. New Orleans Pelicans 0-1
10. San Antonio Spurs 0-1
11. Dallas Mavericks 0-1
12. Utah Jazz 0-1
13. Sacramento Kings 0-1
14. Golden State Warriors 0-1
15. Phoenix Suns 0-1
-Top 6 teams in each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-7th through 10th place teams in each conference qualify for the Play-In tournament
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