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Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara put up a combined total of 40 points, while Matisse Thybulle denied a game-tying shot from Orlando Robinson in the final seconds, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a narrow 105-102 victory against the Toronto Raptors at Moda Center on Sunday.
“He’s someone we know can excel. He’s a winner and makes crucial plays when it matters, and that’s exactly what happened today,” praised Thybulle, recognized by his teammate, the 24-year-old Israeli forward.
Avdija played for 33 minutes, scoring 19 points, which included a stunning dunk that he described as his first poster in the league. “Coming back from a 16-point deficit feels amazing,” he noted during a post-game media session.
In addition to his scoring, Avdija contributed six assists, six rebounds, and two steals. Camara added 21 points, along with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Meanwhile, French players Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko were assigned to the G League team, Rip City Remix.
On the other side, Jakob Poeltl from Austria finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and two steals for the Raptors, who are coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic.
Another European coach, Spain’s Jordi Fernandez, led the Brooklyn Nets to a 122-114 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. For Atlanta, French player Zaccharie Risacher contributed 16 points and two rebounds, while Czech player Vit Krejci added eight points, two assists, two steals, one block, and one rebound. Swiss player Clint Capela was absent due to family matters.
Ivica Zubac from Croatia notched a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, along with eight assists, two blocks, and one steal, as the Los Angeles Clippers easily defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 123-88, at Intuit Dome. Off the bench, Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed seven points, four rebounds, and one assist, while Frenchman Nicolas Batum added three points, five rebounds, one steal, and one assist.
With French player Tidjane Salaun only being available for a G League assignment with the Greensboro Swarm, options for head coach Charles Lee were restricted to Moussa Diabate and Jusuf Nurkic. The 23-year-old French forward recorded six points, three rebounds, and one assist, and the 30-year-old Bosnian center tallied four points, five rebounds, and one block.
In a 128-102 win for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Utah Jazz, Frenchman Rudy Gobert contributed seven points, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Anthony Edwards led the charge with an impressive 41 points, marking the team’s eighth consecutive win. Bosnian Luka Garza added three points and two assists, and Dutch player Jesse Edwards was assigned to the Iowa Wolves.
On the losing side at Target Center, Finnish Lauri Markkanen scored 16 points, shooting 5-for-12 from the field, with two assists and one rebound. Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk finished with eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Game Results:
– Dallas Mavericks–Philadelphia 76ers: 125-130
– Cleveland Cavaliers–Orlando Magic: 103-108
– Los Angeles Lakers–Phoenix Suns: 107-96
– Brooklyn Nets–Atlanta Hawks: 122-114
– Portland Trail Blazers–Toronto Raptors: 105-102
– Los Angeles Clippers–Charlotte Hornets: 123-88
– Minnesota Timberwolves –Utah Jazz: 128-102
– Milwaukee Bucks–Oklahoma City Thunder: 105-121
Standings:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: 56-11
2. Boston Celtics: 49-19
3. New York Knicks: 42-24
4. Milwaukee Bucks: 38-29
5. Indiana Pacers: 37-29
6. Detroit Pistons: 37-31
7. Atlanta Hawks: 32-36
8. Orlando Magic: 32-37
9. Miami Heat: 29-38
10. Chicago Bulls: 28-39
11. Toronto Raptors: 24-44
12. Philadelphia 76ers: 23-44
13. Brooklyn Nets: 23-45
14. Charlotte Hornets: 17-50
15. Washington Wizards: 15-51
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 56-12
2. Houston Rockets: 43-25
3. Denver Nuggets: 43-25
4. Memphis Grizzlies: 43-25
5. Los Angeles Lakers: 41-25
6. Golden State Warriors: 39-28
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 40-29
8. Los Angeles Clippers: 38-30
9. Sacramento Kings: 33-33
10. Dallas Mavericks: 33-36
11. Phoenix Suns: 31-37
12. Portland Trail Blazers: 29-39
13. San Antonio Spurs: 28-38
14. New Orleans Pelicans: 18-50 (eliminated)
15. Utah Jazz: 15-53 (eliminated)
*The top six teams from each conference earn playoff berths, while teams ranked seventh to tenth qualify for the Play-Ins.
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