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In his 61st game coming off the bench for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, Simone Fontecchio showcased an outstanding performance, scoring a season-best 23 points.
During his 21-minute stint on Monday, the Italian forward made an impressive 9 of 10 shooting from the field, including a perfect 5 for 5 from beyond the arc, contributing significantly to his team’s dominant victory of 127-81 against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Fontecchio recorded seven rebounds and a steal. Another European player, German Dennis Schroder, who plays under head coach J. B. Bickerstaff, added 12 points, five assists, and a steal in just under 19 minutes of play. On the other hand, Swedish Bobi Klintman was occupied with a G League assignment for the Motor City Cruise. For the Pelicans, Croatian Karlo Matkovic delivered a solid performance off the bench, accumulating seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists in 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks secured a 116-95 victory against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden, where British O.G. Anunoby contributed nine points, two blocks, two assists, one rebound, and one steal to the win. French player Pacome Dadiet saw limited action with only three minutes on the court, while German Ariel Hukporti remained sidelined due to left knee surgery. The visiting team featured Swedish Pelle Larsson, who collected four points and three rebounds, but Serbian Nikola Jovic was unable to participate due to a right hand fracture.
At the Toyota Center, the Houston Rockets executed a remarkable comeback from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 144-137 in an overtime thriller. Turkish player Alperen Sengun scored 13 points, including a critical shot that extended the game into overtime, along with 11 rebounds and five assists. For the 76ers, Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele missed out due to right knee soreness, joining Turkish Adem Bona, who is dealing with a left ankle sprain, on the list of unavailable players.
Target Center also saw overtime action, with the Indiana Pacers narrowly defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-130. French player Rudy Gobert was ejected in the third quarter after an altercation involving Andrew Nembhard, concluding his night with three points, seven rebounds, three blocks, and one assist. Bosnian Luka Garza did not play, and Dutch Jesse Edwards remained with the Iowa Wolves affiliate.
Despite the ejection drama surrounding Gobert, another highlight came when Nembhard also faced ejection after receiving his second technical foul.
The Portland Trail Blazers triumphed over the Washington Wizards 112-97 at Moda Center, even without Belgian Toumani Camara due to right calf soreness. Israeli Deni Avdija made a notable contribution with 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while French prospects Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko continued their G League development.
On the opposing side, Frenchman Alex Sarr delivered a strong showing with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal, while Serbian Tristan Vukcevic added 17 points and eight rebounds. French player Bilal Coulibaly remained out with a right hamstring strain.
Elsewhere, the Phoenix Suns cruised past the Toronto Raptors 129-89 at PHX Arena, where Serbian Vasilije Micic made his presence felt with two rebounds. Austrian Jakob Poeltl was rested for the game, coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic.
In summary, here are the scores from the games played:
– New York Knicks 116, Miami Heat 95
– Houston Rockets 144, Philadelphia 76ers 137 OT (131-131)
– Minnesota Timberwolves 130, Indiana Pacers 132 OT (117-117)
– New Orleans Pelicans 81, Detroit Pistons 127
– Utah Jazz 97, Chicago Bulls 111
– Golden State Warriors 105, Denver Nuggets 114
– Phoenix Suns 129, Toronto Raptors 89
– Sacramento Kings 132, Memphis Grizzlies 122
– Portland Trail Blazers 112, Washington Wizards 97
– Los Angeles Lakers 125, San Antonio Spurs 109
Standings are as follows:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 56-11
2. Boston Celtics 49-19
3. New York Knicks 43-24
4. Milwaukee Bucks 38-29
5. Indiana Pacers 38-29
6. Detroit Pistons 38-31
7. Atlanta Hawks 32-36
8. Orlando Magic 32-37
9. Chicago Bulls 29-39
10. Miami Heat 29-39
11. Toronto Raptors 24-45
12. Brooklyn Nets 23-45
13. Philadelphia 76ers 23-45
14. Charlotte Hornets 17-50
15. Washington Wizards 15-52
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 56-12
2. Houston Rockets 44-25
3. Denver Nuggets 44-25
4. Los Angeles Lakers 42-25
5. Memphis Grizzlies 43-26
6. Golden State Warriors 39-29
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 40-30
8. Los Angeles Clippers 38-30
9. Sacramento Kings 34-33
10. Dallas Mavericks 33-36
11. Phoenix Suns 32-37
12. Portland Trail Blazers 30-39
13. San Antonio Spurs 28-39
14. New Orleans Pelicans 18-51
15. Utah Jazz 15-54
– The top six teams from each conference are guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs, while teams ranked seventh to tenth will compete in the Play-Ins.
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