By Johnny Askounis/ [email protected]
After losing an 18-point advantage in the fourth quarter and a six-point advantage late in overtime, the Portland Trail Blazers anticipated the Kings of Sacramento134-133, behind two free throws from Deni Avdija 1.5 seconds from the end of overtime. The 24-year-old Israeli forward recorded a game-high 35 points on 12/19 field goals, along with five assists, five rebounds and a steal in 42:13. “I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words right now. I’m just glad we won. It wasn’t pretty, but sometimes you have to win ugly. And that’s part of the game, part of basketball. I’m proud of the guys. I know we could have been all sad and upset after overtime, but we kept playing, we moved the ball and got the win,” he reacted to the close finale with a controversial foul leading to the deciding free throws in a postgame interview.
Fellow starter Belgian Toumani Camara lasted 34:37, adding 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists, with French reserves Sidy Cissoko and Rayan Rupert between three points in 28:35 and a tie in 1:40. On the wrong side of the Moda Center, French starter Maxime Raynaud set new individual NBA highs with a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds, along with two steals and two assists in 36:52. Germany reserve Dennis Schroder was initially considered questionable due to a sprained right ankle, but he logged 22:20 with six points, six assists and two rebounds. Returning to the court after almost a month of absence from the rotation, Croatian Dario Saric scored a rebound in 10:12. Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (partial torn meniscus in left knee) remained on the injured list of the team coached by Doug Christie.
Playing 17:18 under the minutes restriction, Victor Wembanyama delivered 15 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and four assists. San Antonio Spurs removed the Wizards of Washington119-94, at Frost Bank Center. Also coming off the bench, Poland’s Jeremy Sochan added two rebounds, a block, an interception and an assist. Returning from injury straight into the starting lineup WizardsFrenchmen Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly went from a combined 18 points with four rebounds, three rebounds and a block, to three points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Limited to just under five minutes, Serbian reserve Tristan Vukcevic scored six points and two rebounds.
Sengun drops 28
While Alperen Sengun missed a chance to win late in the fourth quarter, the Houston Rockets fell into the hands of New Orleans Pelicans133-128, in overtime. The 23-year-old Turkish center finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals in 35:42 as his team mishandled a 25-point lead at the Smoothie King Center to fall to 16-8 in the 2025-26 regular season. His Swiss teammate, Clint Capela, logged 6:40 with three points and three rebounds. Croatian Karlo Matkovic lasted 11:07 for the Pels, collecting three points, two rebounds, a block and an assist.
Originally listed as questionable to play Thursday due to a bruised left knee, OG Anunoby was cleared and had a game-clinching steal as the New York Knicks escaped, 114-113, from Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Lasting nearly 34 minutes, the 28-year-old British forward finished with 16 points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist. The other European starters, the German Ariel Hukporti and the French Mohamed Diawara, collected five and four points respectively. French reserves Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet went from three points to a draw, with Britain’s Tosan Evbuomwan remaining on the bench.
Lithuania’s Kasparas Jakucionis overcame left ankle pain with his first NBA points, an early three-pointer and the Miami Heat wins, 106-95, over the Brooklyn fillets at the Barclays Center. Italian Simone Fontecchio scored seven points. Russian Vladislav Goldin did not play, Serbian Nikola Jovic (contusion/laceration of right elbow) and Swede Pelle Larsson (sprained left ankle) on the injured list. For the team coached by Spaniard Jordi Fernández, Russian Egor Demin collected 14 points and Israeli Danny Wolf nine points, but Frenchman Nolan Traoré and Israeli Ben Saraf were with Long Island. Nets.
Belgian Ajay Mitchell scored 16 points, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder bounce back from a rare defeat with a 122-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Paycom center. Frenchman Ousmane Dieng did not register, while German Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus injury management) and Serbian Nikola Topic (testicular cancer treatment) are absent. The Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser (left knee pain) was sidelined by the Clippersbut Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic and Croatian Ivica Zubac were in Tyronn Lue’s starting lineup, totaling 14 points and a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Overcoming 43 points thanks to the return of Jalen Johnson and Trae Young, the Charlotte Frelons beat the Atlanta Falcons133-126, in Spectrum Center. Coming off the bench, the French Tidjane Salaun and Moussa Diabaté contributed ten and five points. The visitors’ French starter, Zaccharie Risacher, collected five points, while Czech Vit Krejci reached five points as a reserve. Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (illness) remained sidelined, alongside Serbian Nikola Djurisic and Spaniard Eli Ndiaye, who are on G League duty with the College Park Skyhawks.
Overtime at the American Airlines Center saw the Dallas Mavericks bypass the Detroit Pistons116-114. Swede Bobi Klintman was assigned to the Motor City Cruise subsidiary by the leaders of the Eastern Conference.
In Mortgage Matchup Center, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Warriors of the Golden State99-98. Dutch starter Quinten Post produced nine points, but fellow Dutchman Malevy Leons was inactive.
Thursday results
Charlotte Frelons – Atlanta Falcons 133-126
Indiana Pacers – New York Knicks 113-114
Brooklyn Nets – Miami Heat 95-106
Oklahoma City Thunder – Los Angeles Clippers 122-101
San Antonio Spurs – Wizards of Washington 119-94
Milwaukee Bucks – Toronto Raptors 105-111
New Orleans Pelicans – Houston Rockets 133-128 overtime (119-119)
Dallas Mavericks – Detroit Pistons 116-114
Denver Nuggets – Magic of Orlando 126-115
Phoenix Suns – Warriors of the Golden State 99-98
Utah Jazz – Los Angeles Lakers 135-143
Portland Trail Blazers – Kings of Sacramento 133-134 overtime (115-115)
Ranking
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 21-6
2. New York Knicks 19-7
3. Toronto Raptors 17-11
4. Boston Celtics 15-11
5. Philadelphia 76ers 14-11
6. Miami Heat 15-12
7. Magic of Orlando 15-12
8. Cleveland Cavaliers 15-13
9. Atlanta Falcons 15-13
10. Chicago Bulls 11-15
11. Milwaukee Bucks 11-17
12. Charlotte Hornets 9-18
13. Brooklyn Tenderloins 7-19
14. Indiana Pacers 6-21
15. Wizards of Washington 4-21
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 25-2
2. Denver Nuggets 20-6
3. San Antonio Spurs 19-7
4. Los Angeles Lakers 19-7
5. Houston Rockets 16-8
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 17-10
7. Phoenix Suns 15-12
8. Memphis Grizzlies 13-14
9. Golden State Warriors 13-15
10. Portland Trail Blazers 10-16
11. Dallas Mavericks 11-17
12. Utah Jazz 10-16
13. Los Angeles Clippers 6-21
14. Kings of Sacramento 6-21
15. New Orleans Pelicans 6-22
-The top 6 teams in each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth in each conference advance to the Play-Ins
