Headline: Wagners Comeback Shines as Blazers Dominate Magic; Bogdanovic Finds Form Amid Hawks Heartbreaker

In a decisive match at the Kia Center on Thursday, the Portland Trail Blazers overwhelmed the Orlando Magic, winning 101-79, dampening the anticipated return of German player Franz Wagner.

Wagner had been sidelined for 20 games during the 2024-25 NBA regular season due to a right oblique tear, but he marked his return with a solid performance, contributing a team-high 20 points on 9 of 19 shooting, along with four rebounds and a blocked shot in just 24 minutes. Coming off the bench, fellow German Tristan da Silva made an impact as well, scoring 16 points while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out two assists, and securing a steal. Meanwhile, Georgians Goga Bitadze (concussion) and Moritz Wagner (left knee surgery) continued to be absent from the lineup.

On the Blazers’ roster, Belgian player Toumani Camara bounced back from an illness, playing a crucial role in their third consecutive victory with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots, and two steals. Israeli starter Deni Avdija added 13 points, five assists, and five rebounds, while Frenchman Rayan Rupert collected two rebounds.

In a close game at the State Farm Arena, Bogdan Bogdanovic ended his shooting woes by making 8 of 12 shots, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, but his 23 points were insufficient to prevent the Atlanta Hawks from losing to the Toronto Raptors, 122-119. “Whatever you score doesn’t matter,” he reflected on the loss, emphasizing the ongoing struggles throughout his career. He also recorded three rebounds and one block in 32 minutes. Czech player Vit Krejci contributed 13 points, along with two steals, two assists, and two rebounds, while Swiss center Clint Capela (right knee soreness) and Zaccharie Risacher (left adductor strain) remained out due to injuries. For the Raptors, Austrian Jakob Poeltl had a notable game with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals.

In a victorious outing for the Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Chicago Bulls 131-106 at Chase Center, Dutch player Quinten Post stood out by scoring a career-high of 20 points, shooting 7 of 12 from the floor, including five three-pointers, while contributing five rebounds and three assists. German Dennis Schroder added 11 points, seven assists, and two rebounds. For the Bulls, Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic recorded nine points, six rebounds, and four steals, whereas Lithuanian Matas Buzelis accumulated three points and four rebounds.

After being sidelined for one game due to illness, Latvian Kristaps Porzingis came back to lead the Boston Celtics with 22 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in their 117-96 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. “I think we’re improving, but we didn’t have our best night today, especially considering the back-to-back games,” he said, while Portuguese teammate Neemias Queta added six points, three assists, two steals, one block, and one rebound.

In their matchup, the Los Angeles Clippers triumphed over the Washington Wizards, 110-93, bolstered by the returns of Ivica Zubac (left eye corneal abrasion) and Nicolas Batum (right finger soreness). Zubac contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and two assists, while Batum added three points, one steal, and one assist. James Harden notched his 79th career triple-double in this game.

From the Wizards, French starters Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr made solid contributions with 15 points and five rebounds, along with a double-double from Sarr of 14 points and 10 rebounds, plus two assists and one steal. Off the bench, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas added a double-double of his own with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist, while Serbian Tristan Vukcevic registered one rebound.

**Scores from the Day:**
– Indiana Pacers 110, San Antonio Spurs 140
– Orlando Magic 79, Portland Trail Blazers 101
– Atlanta Hawks 119, Toronto Raptors 122
– Milwaukee Bucks 125, Miami Heat 96
– Oklahoma City Thunder 115, Dallas Mavericks 121
– Denver Nuggets 132, Sacramento Kings 123
– Golden State Warriors 131, Chicago Bulls 106
– Los Angeles Lakers 117, Boston Celtics 96
– Los Angeles Clippers 110, Washington Wizards 93

**Standings Update:**
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 36-7
2. Boston Celtics 31-14
3. New York Knicks 29-16
4. Milwaukee Bucks 25-17
5. Indiana Pacers 24-20
6. Detroit Pistons 23-21
7. Orlando Magic 23-23
8. Atlanta Hawks 22-22
9. Miami Heat 21-22
10. Chicago Bulls 19-26
11. Philadelphia 76ers 15-27
12. Brooklyn Nets 14-31
13. Charlotte Hornets 11-29
14. Toronto Raptors 12-32
15. Washington Wizards 6-37

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 36-8
2. Houston Rockets 29-14
3. Memphis Grizzlies 29-15
4. Denver Nuggets 28-16
5. Los Angeles Lakers 24-18
6. Los Angeles Clippers 25-19
7. Dallas Mavericks 24-21
8. Sacramento Kings 23-22
9. Minnesota Timberwolves 23-21
10. Phoenix Suns 22-21
11. Golden State Warriors 22-22
12. San Antonio Spurs 20-22
13. Portland Trail Blazers 16-28
14. New Orleans Pelicans 12-32
15. Utah Jazz 10-32

– The top six teams in each conference secure playoff spots, while those ranked seventh through tenth will advance to the Play-Ins.

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