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Taking advantage of the San Antonio Spurs’ absence of French star Victor Wembanyama (who is dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder), the New Orleans Pelicans secured a convincing victory, defeating the Spurs 114-96 at Smoothie King Center during NBA Sunday.
Croatian player Karlo Matkovic set a new personal best with a standout performance, scoring 19 points on an impressive 8 of 9 shooting. In 21 minutes on the court, he also contributed six rebounds, one block, and one assist.
“I think it’s all about being in my right positions and making plays when I receive the ball. That’s the key. My teammates find me when I’m open, and I capitalized on some easy opportunities,” the 23-year-old center shared at the postgame press conference.
Reflecting on his journey, Matkovic recounted, “My experience of moving between here and Birmingham [Squadron] and dealing with varying minutes has been part of my development. The journey from being drafted, stashed, and working through the ranks is just how it is meant to unfold.” He was selected as the 52nd overall pick in the 2022 draft after leaving Cedevita Olimpija near the end of the 2023-24 season.
“I cherish each moment I spend on the court, trying to enjoy myself,” he remarked, “Coming from a place where not many make it, I’m truly thankful for every chance I get to play.”
For the team led by coach Mitch Johnson, Polish player Jeremy Sochan finished with four points, eight rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal, while Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili added two points and one rebound.
Croatian Ivica Zubac also had a notable outing, scoring 22 points along with six rebounds and two assists, but the Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Indiana Pacers, 129-111, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Other European players contributed as well, with Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic notching 11 points, two assists, one steal, and one rebound, while French player Nicolas Batum grabbed two rebounds.
In the Kia Center, German Franz Wagner led the Orlando Magic to a 110-90 victory over the Washington Wizards with 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Coming off the bench, Georgian Goga Bitadze recorded 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while German Tristan da Silva scored three points.
Moritz Wagner (undergoing left knee surgery) will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season for the Magic, and the Wizards listed French player Alex Sarr (suffering from a left ankle sprain) as out. On the Wizards’ side, Serbian Tristan Vukcevic tallied 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists, while French Bilal Coulibaly contributed 11 points and six assists.
A strong finish propelled the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 130-123 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center, with limited European contributions coming from German Isaiah Hartenstein, who registered 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. French Ousmane Dieng remained on the bench, while Belgian Ajay Mitchell (dealing with a right toe sprain) and Serbian Nikola Topic (recovering from left knee surgery) were on the injury list.
The Timberwolves played without starting center Rudy Gobert (lower back spasms) for a second consecutive game. Dutch player Jesse Edwards was dressed but did not make his NBA debut. Conversely, Bosnian Luka Garza saw nearly nine minutes of action, contributing seven points, four rebounds, and one assist.
With Austrian Jakob Poeltl (right hip pointer) on the injury list for the Toronto Raptors, and Serbian Vasilije Micic sitting out for the Phoenix Suns, the team coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic emerged victorious with a score of 127-109 at Scotiabank Arena.
Before retiring Andre Iguodala’s jersey, the Golden State Warriors bested the Dallas Mavericks 126-102 at Chase Center, with Dutch player Quinten Post adding ten points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
On the other hand, Spanish player Santi Aldama recorded 15 points, six rebounds, one steal, one block, and one assist for the Memphis Grizzlies, who suffered a 129-123 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.
**Scores:**
– Boston Celtics 118, New York Knicks 105
– Golden State Warriors 126, Dallas Mavericks 102
– Indiana Pacers 129, Los Angeles Clippers 111
– Atlanta Hawks 143, Detroit Pistons 148
– Orlando Magic 110, Washington Wizards 90
– Toronto Raptors 127, Phoenix Suns 109
– Milwaukee Bucks 120, Miami Heat 113
– New Orleans Pelicans 114, San Antonio Spurs 96
– Cleveland Cavaliers 129, Memphis Grizzlies 123
– Minnesota Timberwolves 123, Oklahoma City Thunder 130
**Standings:**
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 47-10
2. Boston Celtics 41-16
3. New York Knicks 37-20
4. Indiana Pacers 32-23
5. Milwaukee Bucks 32-24
6. Detroit Pistons 31-26
7. Orlando Magic 29-30
8. Miami Heat 26-29
9. Atlanta Hawks 26-31
10. Chicago Bulls 22-35
11. Brooklyn Nets 21-35
12. Philadelphia 76ers 20-36
13. Toronto Raptors 18-39
14. Charlotte Hornets 14-41
15. Washington Wizards 9-47
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 46-10
2. Memphis Grizzlies 37-20
3. Denver Nuggets 37-20
4. Los Angeles Lakers 34-21
5. Houston Rockets 35-22
6. Los Angeles Clippers 31-25
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 31-27
8. Dallas Mavericks 31-27
9. Golden State Warriors 30-27
10. Sacramento Kings 28-28
11. Phoenix Suns 27-30
12. San Antonio Spurs 24-31
13. Portland Trail Blazers 24-33
14. Utah Jazz 14-42
15. New Orleans Pelicans 14-43
*The top six teams from each conference secure spots in the playoffs, and teams ranking seventh to tenth move on to the play-ins.*
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