By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Portland Trail Blazers remained undefeated in the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season after handing the Los Angeles Lakers their first loss of the year in a narrow 136–129 victory at crypto.com Arena.
The visitors rallied from an early double-digit deficit, keeping the game competitive before ultimately securing the gritty road win. Israeli Deni Avdija fueled the comeback, ending up with 23 points and nine assists as a starter, while fellow starter Toumani Camara of Belgium added 12 points behind four three-pointers. They also got valuable bench contributions from French Sidy Cissoko, who logged six points, and Czech Vít Krejci, who finished with four.
Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic headlined the night with a masterful 41-point performance, shooting 12-of-22 from the field, but his efforts fell just short of securing a fourth straight win for the Lakers. Operating smoothly as the primary playmaker, he distributed nine assists, grabbed five rebounds, and blocked one shot in just under 37 minutes of action. Georgian reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili had 17 points, highlighted by a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close out the first half.
Tatum’s buzzer-beater caps Celtics win
Jayson Tatum shook off injury scares to score 40 points, including a buzzer-beating jumper in overtime to lift the Boston Celtics past the Brooklyn Nets 125–124 at TD Garden. European reserves went from Portuguese Neemias Queta with a perfect 3-of-3 to finish with seven points to Bosnian Luka Garza adding two points and four rebounds. Spanish Hugo Gonzalez grabbed two boards in limited action, and British Amari Williams was inactive.
The final sequence came down to a defensive miscommunication. “We were not supposed to switch there because we wanted a bigger body on him,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez explained after the game. “We did switch, he bumped, Keon tried to re-contest, and he got a shot that he can make.”
Beyond the heartbreaking loss, the 43-year-old Spanish tactician had to deal with a couple of injuries to his rotation. Russian starter Egor Demin exited early with a bruised right leg after recording two points and two assists in 10 minutes. “Nothing serious, so I’ll be ready to go,” the Moscow native said in his postgame interview, downplaying the setback.
French playmaker Nolan Traore drew the starting nod and looked sharp, scoring 15 points in 23 minutes, but severe cramping forced him to watch the final stretch from the bench. Meanwhile, German Moritz Wagner was steadying the second unit with 15 points and four rebounds. However, Israeli Danny Wolf did not play, and fellow countryman Ben Saraf was inactive.
First win for the defending champions as the New York Knicks stormed back from an early deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 111–97 at Madison Square Garden. British starter OG Anunoby stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and two steals in 35 minutes. French Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara both checked in briefly during the final minute.
Tuesday games
Boston Celtics – Brooklyn Nets 125-124 OT (117-117)
San Antonio Spurs – Sacramento Kings 130-103
New York Knicks – Detroit Pistons 111-97
Los Angeles Lakers – Portland Trail Blazers 129-136
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 3-1
2. Philadelphia 76ers 3-1
3. Charlotte Hornets 3-1
4. Boston Celtics 3-1
5. Toronto Raptors 2-1
6. Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1
7. Atlanta Hawks 2-2
8. Washington Wizards 2-2
9. Indiana Pacers 2-2
10. Orlando Magic 1-2
11. Chicago Bulls 1-3
12. Milwaukee Bucks 1-3
13. New York Knicks 1-3
14. Miami Heat 0-4
15. Brooklyn Nets 0-4
Western Conference
1. Houston Rockets 4-0
2. Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0
3. Memphis Grizzlies 4-0
4. Portland Trail Blazers 3-0
5. Los Angeles Lakers 3-1
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1
7. San Antonio Spurs 2-2
8. Dallas Mavericks 2-2
9. Los Angeles Clippers 1-2
10. Denver Nuggets 1-2
11. Phoenix Suns 1-2
12. Golden State Warriors 1-3
13. Utah Jazz 1-3
14. New Orleans Pelicans 0-3
15. Sacramento Kings 0-4
-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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