By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to 3-0 on the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 108–101 at Paycom Center. But victory felt incredibly heavy. They lost three players to injuries, including Jalen Williams leaving the floor on a stretcher and his left leg draped in towels. Before that, Jaylin Williams exited with a sore right wrist, and Cason Wallace walked off with a sore left shoulder, with Serbian Nikola Topic already out following low back surgery.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried the offense with 34 points. Belgian Ajay Mitchell provided a massive lift off the bench, bringing energy to log 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. German starter Isaiah Hartenstein posted a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double, with Spanish backup Aday Mara at two points and three rebounds in his 14 minutes. For the Clips, European action was limited to Spanish Baba Miller, who grabbed one rebound during a two-minute stint.
At Madison Square Garden, the Orlando Magic handled business with a 111–102 win, pushing the defending champions New York Knicks to an unexpected 0–3 start. German starter Franz Wagner completely ran the floor in the final quarter, dropping 21 of his 23 points. He finished just one assist shy of a triple-double, adding 13 rebounds and nine assists to his stat line. “I was pretty aggressive,” the 25-year-old forward explained during his postgame press conference, when asked about tweaks to trigger the late explosion. “I was just making bad reads out there the first three quarters.”
Fellow German Tristan da Silva poured in 19 points, including five shots from deep. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic added five points, three rebounds, and two blocks in limited minutes, but Georgian Goga Bitadze did not play.
Anthony Black scored 18 points in his return after missing the first two games with an ankle injury. His strong performance provided a much-needed boost, especially since star forward Paolo Banchero recently joined French prospect Noah Penda on the injury list. Health concerns deepened late in Sunday’s game when Jalen Suggs landed awkwardly on a fast-break layup. He collapsed and immediately grabbed his right leg in pain before ultimately exiting to a warm ovation from the MSG crowd.
For the Knicks, British starter OG Anunoby fought hard for 22 points, pouring in ten in the final period. His French teammates, Mohamed Diawara and Pacome Dadiet, did not get into the game.
Rajakovic loss, Iisalo win
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors had to play without Kawhi Leonard due to knee swelling. Led by Serbian head coach Darko Rajakovic, they fell 117–94 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. “You’ve always got to be ready for those situations and adjust,” noted 47-year-old Rajakovic about missing his star. “He’s a big part of what we do, but it’s a great opportunity for everybody else to step up.”
His Austrian starter Jakob Poeltl grabbed only one rebound. Opposite 31-year-old Poeltl, the French duo impacted the game for the Wolves. Starter Rudy Gobert logged eight points and 13 rebounds, while reserve Joan Beringer chipped in six points and six boards in 13 minutes.
Finnish play-caller Tuomas Iisalo guided the Memphis Grizzlies to a 123–112 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Ty Jerome once more paved the way with 31 points, while Dutch Quinten Post tallied seven points and five rebounds. For Sacramento, Lithuanian star Domantas Sabonis put up 15 points and 15 rebounds for the hosts, with Israeli reserve Emanuel Sharp finishing with three points.
Finally, the Detroit Pistons took down the Philadelphia 76ers 106–93 despite losing Isaiah Joe early to a hip injury and previously ruling out Jalen Duren for at least two weeks due to a hamstring strain. Turkish Adem Bona provided a bright spot for Philly off the bench, picking up six points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks, but French teammate Rayan Rupert did not play.
Sunday games
Utah Jazz – Los Angeles Lakers 123-132
Brooklyn Nets – Indiana Pacers 109-136
New York Knicks – Orlando Magic 102-111
Minnesota Timberwolves – Toronto Raptors 117-94
Oklahoma City Thunder – Los Angeles Clippers 108-101
Philadelphia 76ers – Detroit Pistons 93-106
Sacramento Kings – Memphis Grizzlies 112-123
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 3-0
2. Philadelphia 76ers 3-1
3. Atlanta Hawks 2-1
4. Toronto Raptors 2-1
5. Washington Wizards 2-1
6. Indiana Pacers 2-1
7. Charlotte Hornets 2-1
8. Boston Celtics 1-1
9. Cleveland Cavaliers 1-1
10. Orlando Magic 1-2
11. Chicago Bulls 1-2
12. Miami Heat 0-3
13. New York Knicks 0-3
14. Milwaukee Bucks 0-3
15. Brooklyn Nets 0-3
Western Conference
1. Houston Rockets 3-0
2. Los Angeles Lakers 3-0
3. Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0
4. Memphis Grizzlies 3-0
5. Minnesota Timberwolves 3-0
6. Portland Trail Blazers 2-0
7. Denver Nuggets 1-1
8. Phoenix Suns 1-1
9. San Antonio Spurs 1-2
10. Dallas Mavericks 1-2
11. Los Angeles Clippers 1-2
12. Utah Jazz 1-2
13. New Orleans Pelicans 0-3
14. Golden State Warriors 0-3
15. Sacramento Kings 0-3
-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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