By Johnny Askounis/ [email protected]
Spoiling an evening of Santi Aldama’s career, the Wizards of Washington recovered from a 20-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies130-122, in FedExForum Saturday.
Coming off the bench of the team coached by Finnish Tuomas Iisalo and which lasted almost 36 minutes, the 24-year-old Spanish forward/center scored 15/23 field goals, including five beyond the arc, to set his career record at 37 points, in addition to achieving a double-double with ten rebounds to complement with two assists, a block and an interception. Starting for the visitors, Frenchman Alex Sarr had a double-double of 18 points, 11 rebounds, plus two assists and a block in 26 minutes, but Serbian Tristan Vukcevic did not check in and Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly (sprained left ankle) was excluded from the lineup.
A first NBA double-double for the Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez with ten points and ten rebounds, marked by a comfortable victory, 112-96, for the Boston Celtics against the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena. “That’s what everyone told me, you can’t be tired because you’re 19. So I tried to bring energy. We’re doing a great job, and it’s easy for me to have great energy when the team is helping too, and everyone is engaged in the game, and everyone wants the guy next to him to succeed,” he mentioned in a post-match interview.
Fellow reserve Bosnian Luka Garza combined for 12 points with ten rebounds, and Portuguese starter Neemias Queta scored 14 points, but Britain’s Amari Williams and Ukrainian Max Shulga remained on assignment with G League affiliate Maine. Celtics. For the team coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic en route to a 17-12 regular season record, Austria’s Jakob Poeltl (lower back injury management) missed a second straight game, but Georgia’s Sandro Mamukelashvili set his personal best for the 2025-26 campaign with 24 points.
Israeli Deni Avdija combined for a double-double of 24 points, 11 assists and seven assists, propelling the Portland Trail Blazers to a victory, 98-93, against the Kings of Sacramento at the Golden 1 Center. His fellow starter, Belgian Toumani Camara, scored 15 points, while French reserves Sidy Cissoko and Rayan Rupert had one and zero points respectively. On the bad side, German Dennis Schroder recorded a team-high 21 points and Frenchman Maxime Raynaud recorded a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, but Croatian Dario Saric did not score and Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (partial torn left knee meniscus) remained on the sidelines.
Missing Germans Franz Wagner (sprained left ankle), Tristan da Silva (contusion to right shoulder) and Moritz Wagner (recovering from left knee injury), the Magic of Orlando won, 128-127, on the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center behind Desmond Bane hitting the buzzer in overtime. Frenchman Noah Penda recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Georgian Goga Bitadze added five points. For the hosts, Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk had 23 points, but Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic had four and Finnish Lauri Markkanen (managing a right groin injury) was absent.
The French reservists, Tidjane Salaun and Moussa Diabaté, go from eight to one point with the Charlotte Frelons falling, 112-86, at Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Swede Bobi Klintman was assigned to the Motor City Cruise by Eastern Conference leaders.
Meanwhile, the Warriors of the Golden State anticipated the Phoenix Suns119-116, at Chase Center. Dutch starter Quinten Post scored seven points, but fellow Dutchman Malevy Leons was inactive.
Croatian Karlo Matkovic contributed six points to a victory, 128-109, for the New Orleans Pelicans on the Indiana Pacers at the Smoothie King Center.
In Xfinity Mobile Arena, Turkey’s Adem Bona scored ten points as Philadelphia 76ers overcome the Dallas Mavericks121-114.
Saturday results
Denver Nuggets – Houston Rockets 101-115
Philadelphia 76ers – Dallas Mavericks 121-114
Toronto Raptors – Boston Celtics 96-112
New Orleans Pelicans – Indiana Pacers 128-109
Detroit Pistons – Charlotte Frelons 112-86
Memphis Grizzlies – Wizards of Washington 122-130
Warriors of the Golden State – Phoenix Suns 119-116
Utah Jazz – Magic of Orlando 127-128 overtime (118-118)
Kings of Sacramento – Portland Trail Blazers 93-98
Los Angeles Clippers – Los Angeles Lakers 103-88
Ranking
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 22-6
2. New York Knicks 19-8
3. Boston Celtics 17-11
4. Philadelphia 76ers 16-11
5. Toronto Raptors 17-12
6. The magic of Orlando 16-12
7. Miami Heat 15-13
8. Cleveland Cavaliers 15-14
9. Atlanta Falcons 15-14
10. Chicago Bulls 12-15
11. Milwaukee Bucks 11-17
12. Charlotte Hornets 9-19
13. Brooklyn fillets 7-19
14. Indiana Pacers 6-22
15. Wizards of Washington 5-21
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 25-3
2. Denver Nuggets 20-7
3. San Antonio Spurs 20-7
4. Los Angeles Lakers 19-8
5. Houston Rockets 17-8
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 18-10
7. Phoenix Suns 15-13
8. Golden State Warriors 14-15
9. Memphis Grizzlies 13-15
10. Portland Trail Blazers 12-16
11. Dallas Mavericks 11-18
12. Utah Jazz 10-17
13. Los Angeles Clippers 7-21
14. New Orleans Pelicans 7-22
15. Kings of Sacramento 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
