Jokic and Doncic with triple-doubles

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

Balkan talent made a difference for both the Nuggets and the Mavs who got two wins.

Serb Nikola Jokic scored a season-high 31 points and added 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season, leading the Nuggets to a 119-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jokic, who has 35 career triple-doubles, has 11 double-doubles in the last 12 games, helping Denver win eight of its last nine. Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas had eight of his 14 points in the first three minutes of the quarter to get Memphis within eight, but couldn’t do much more.

Slovenian Luka Doncic notched his ninth triple-double of the season and didn’t even play the fourth quarter.

Doncic had 31 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds in just 30 minutes, and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Golden State Warriors 141-121.

Latvian Kristaps Porzingis had 18 for the Mavericks, who snapped the Warriors‘ four-game winning streak.

Utah beat the Clippers 120-107 despite just 12 points and eight rebounds from French center Rudy Gobert. The Clippers won the battle inside as Croatian center Ivica Zubac had 15 points and 12 rebounds, but little else went right for Los Angeles.

Spaniard Ricky Rubio had 21 points and eight assists as the Suns prevailed over the Sacramento Kings 112-110 against 22 points by Serb Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Veteran Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova, starting in place of injured Giannis Antetokounmpo, had 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Bucks got the 111-100 win over Orlando. French guard Evan Fournier led Orlando with 23 points and Montenegrin center Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and eight rebounds.

Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen had 25 points, Zach LaVine added 19 and the Chicago Bulls nearly led wire-to-wire in a 116-81 victory over the short-handed Atlanta Hawks.

Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, Spaniard Serge Ibaka had 20 and the Raptors beat Boston 113-97 on Saturday night,

New Orleans trashed the Indiana Pacers 120-98, despite Lithuanian big man Domantas Sabonis who had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Pacers.

Slovenian guard Goran Dragic scored 19 points and dished seven assists, while Jimmy Butler had 25 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, plus the go-ahead free throw with 2.3 seconds left in overtime, as the Heat found a way to prevail over the Philadelphia 76ers 117-116.

James Harden had 44 points and 10 rebounds and the Rockets built a big early lead and withstood a late rally from the Nets for the 108-98 win.

The Cavaliers overcame an NBA season tying-high 29 turnovers to hold off the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-88 (Osman 7 p. 7 r.).

The Knicks beat the Washington Wizards 107-100 (Ntilikina 8 p. 5 as.), the Spurs hit a season-high 18 3-pointers in the 136-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons 136-109 and LeBron James had 21 points and 16 assists, as the Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-120.