By Johnny Askounis/ [email protected]
Tying a franchise record with 24 three-pointers, the Denver Nuggets passed in front of the Utah Jazz135-112, at Ball Arena, Nikola Jokic achieving his 14th triple-double of the 2025-26 NBA regular season and the 178th of his career on Monday. An efficient performance amounting to 14 points on 5/7 field goals, 13 assists, 13 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 28:39.
Playing through an illness and scoring 16:13 off the bench for David Adelman’s team, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds and an assist. Returning from dealing with a right groin injury after being out the last two Jazz In the games, Finland’s Lauri Markkanen recorded 27 points, eight rebounds and one assist, with fellow Europeans Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic and Ukraine’s Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk going from 17 points, 16 rebounds and six assists to six points and one rebound.
With the Portland Trail Blazers defeated by the Detroit Pistons110-102, at the Moda Center, Israeli Deni Avdija recorded 18 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and a block. French reserve Sidy Cissoko produced 16 points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal, Belgian starter Toumani Camara combined for eight points with two rebounds and Frenchman Rayan Rupert generated no stats. In contrast, Swede Bobi Klintman was assigned to the G League’s Motor City Cruise.
Dutch starter Quinten Post had eight points, 12 rebounds and four assists, helping the Warriors of the Golden State master the Magic of Orlando120-97, at Chase Center. Fellow Dutchman Malevy Leones was inactive, as were the Magic’s German options such as Moritz Wagner (recovering from left knee injury), Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Tristan da Silva (right shoulder bruise). Frenchman Noah Penda and Georgian Goga Bitadze scored five and two points respectively for the visitors.
In Paycom Center, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies119-103. Before an early exit in the fourth quarter, Belgian Ajay Mitchell had 16 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two assists, with Frenchman Ousmane Dieng (right calf strain), German Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus soreness) and Nikola Topic (testicular cancer treatment) unavailable. For the team coached by Finnish Tuomas Iisalo, Spaniard Santi Aldama had nine points, seven rebounds and an assist.
French action at the Rocket Arena, with the Charlotte Frelons falling, 139-132, at Cleveland Cavaliers. Moussa Diabaté accumulated five points, 14 rebounds, six steals and two assists. Tidjane Salaun had two points, three rebounds and an assist.
Croatian Karlo Matkovic produced five points, six rebounds, a block and an assist for the New Orleans Pelicans in a victory, 119-113, against the Dallas Mavericks at the Smoothie King Center.
Monday results
Cleveland Cavaliers – Charlotte Frelons 139-132
Boston Celtics – Indiana Pacers 103-95
New Orleans Pelicans – Dallas Mavericks 119-113
Denver Nuggets –Utah Jazz 135-112
Oklahoma City Thunder – Memphis Grizzlies 119-103
Warriors of the Golden State – Magic of Orlando 120-97
Portland Trail Blazers – Detroit Pistons 102-110
Ranking
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 23-6
2. New York Knicks 20-8
3. Boston Celtics 18-11
4. Philadelphia 76ers 16-11
5. Toronto Raptors 17-13
6. The magic of Orlando 16-13
7. Cleveland Cavaliers 16-14
8. Miami Heat 15-14
9. Atlanta Falcons 15-15
10. Chicago Bulls 13-15
11. Milwaukee Bucks 11-18
12. Charlotte Hornets 9-20
13. Brooklyn fillets 8-19
14. Indiana Pacers 6-23
15. Wizards of Washington 5-22
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 26-3
2. Denver Nuggets 21-7
3. San Antonio Spurs 21-7
4. Los Angeles Lakers 19-8
5. Minnesota Timberwolves 19-10
6. Houston Rockets 17-9
7. Phoenix Suns 15-13
8. Golden State Warriors 15-15
9. Memphis Grizzlies 13-16
10. Portland Trail Blazers 12-17
11. Dallas Mavericks 11-19
12. Utah Jazz 10-18
13. New Orleans Pelicans 8-22
14. Los Angeles Clippers 7-21
15. Kings of Sacramento 7-22
-The top 6 teams in each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth in each conference advance to the Play-Ins
