New Star Shines: Alex Sarr Steps Up with Game-Winning Plays for Wizards Amid Coulibalys Injury Setback

With fellow French teammate Bilal Coulibaly projected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, Alex Sarr made a crucial basket and executed a vital block on the other end, leading the Washington Wizards to a 129-125 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.

Prior to Thursday’s matchup, Coulibaly was confirmed to be sidelined for an additional four to six weeks due to a recent right hip contusion. As the end of the Regular Season approaches in just one month, he is likely to remain out for the duration. In his 59 games this season, he had an average of 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.

In the meantime, Sarr contributed 19 points, shooting 7 for 12 from the field, including three three-pointers against the Pistons. Over the course of 30 minutes, he added five rebounds, four blocks, and three assists. Serbian teammate Tristan Vukcevic did not leave the bench for the game. For the Pistons, German Dennis Schroder scored 11 points along with three assists and two rebounds, while Italian Simone Fontecchio contributed nine points, two rebounds, and one assist. Swedish player Bobi Klintman remained assigned to the G League with the Motor City Cruise.

At the Smoothie King Center, the Orlando Magic showcased a dominant performance against the New Orleans Pelicans, winning 113-93. “I thought we played excellent defense throughout the game. Of course, there will be times when they go on scoring runs, but overall, our communication was strong. Our effort was commendable. We adhered to the game plan effectively, and I believe that helped us find a good rhythm on offense,” reflected German forward Franz Wagner at a postgame press conference.

With his brother Moritz recovering from left knee surgery, 23-year-old Franz delivered an impressive performance, scoring 27 points, alongside six rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 35 minutes. Coming off the bench, German Tristan da Silva recorded three points, two rebounds, one block, and one assist, while Georgian Goga Bitadze added two assists and one rebound. Starting for the Magic, Croatian Karlo Matkovic finished with eight points, six rebounds, two blocks, and one assist.

Stephen Curry made history by becoming the first player to reach 4,000 three-pointers as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings, 130-104, at the Chase Center. Teaming up with the iconic guard, Dutch player Quinten Post scored ten points, grabbed four rebounds, logged one block, and made one steal. The Kings were missing Domantas Sabonis for the sixth consecutive game due to a left hamstring strain, while fellow Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas remained in the starting lineup, finishing with five points, nine rebounds, and one block.

In more Lithuanian action at the United Center, Matas Buzelis contributed six points, three rebounds, and one assist for the Chicago Bulls in their 116-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic returned to the starting lineup under minutes restriction, scoring seven points, grabbing three rebounds, and handing out three assists in 23 minutes. British player Tosan Evbuomwan, the only European on Spanish head coach Jordi Fernandez’s roster, played for the Long Island Nets.

**Final Scores**:
– Detroit Pistons 125 – 129 Washington Wizards
– Milwaukee Bucks 126 – 106 Los Angeles Lakers
– Chicago Bulls 116 – 110 Brooklyn Nets
– New Orleans Pelicans 93 – 113 Orlando Magic
– Golden State Warriors 130 – 104 Sacramento Kings

**Standings**:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 55-10
2. Boston Celtics 47-19
3. New York Knicks 42-23
4. Milwaukee Bucks 37-28
5. Indiana Pacers 36-28
6. Detroit Pistons 37-30
7. Atlanta Hawks 32-34
8. Orlando Magic 31-36
9. Miami Heat 29-36
10. Chicago Bulls 28-38
11. Toronto Raptors 23-43
12. Philadelphia 76ers 22-43
13. Brooklyn Nets 22-44
14. Charlotte Hornets 16-49
15. Washington Wizards 14-51

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 54-12
2. Memphis Grizzlies 42-24
3. Denver Nuggets 42-24
4. Los Angeles Lakers 40-25
5. Houston Rockets 41-25
6. Golden State Warriors 38-28
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 38-29
8. Los Angeles Clippers 36-30
9. Sacramento Kings 33-32
10. Dallas Mavericks 33-34
11. Phoenix Suns 30-35
12. San Antonio Spurs 27-37
13. Portland Trail Blazers 28-39
14. New Orleans Pelicans 18-49
15. Utah Jazz 15-51

– The top six teams from each conference secure playoff spots.
– Teams ranked seventh through tenth advance to the Play-In tournament.

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