Sabonis Returns Early from Injury, But Celtics Crush Kings in Homecoming Loss

Returning earlier than anticipated from a right ankle sprain, Domantas Sabonis made his comeback with the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Nevertheless, the Boston Celtics thwarted his return by securing a solid 113-95 win at the Golden 1 Center.

The 28-year-old Lithuanian forward notched a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds, along with one assist, spanning 32 minutes on the court.

“I feel terrible. Personally, this past month has been quite intense for me. You never want something like this to occur,” Sabonis lamented after a flagrant foul against Jayson Tatum led to the 27-year-old forward’s early departure. “I’m sorry.”

Jonas Valanciunas, his fellow countryman, had a limited role off the bench, contributing four points, three rebounds, and one assist in 13 minutes. Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis returned after missing the first game of a back-to-back, playing for 30 minutes and delivering 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal to help the Celtics improve their record to 53-19 in the 2024-25 NBA season. Portuguese player Neemias Queta added two points and two rebounds during his time in the fourth quarter.

Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers triumphed over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 119-103. “We need to regain our focus on our identity, playing with urgency and togetherness,” remarked Frenchman Rudy Gobert, who recorded a double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds along with three assists during his 34 minutes, despite the team’s loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Luka Garza, a Bosnian player, scored two points in the fourth quarter when the outcome was already decided, while Jesse Edwards, from the Netherlands, remained with the Iowa Wolves.

In a game that saw the Denver Nuggets without Serbian star Nikola Jokic (left ankle impingement) for the fifth consecutive game, they fell to the Chicago Bulls, 129-119, at Ball Arena. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic led the way for the Bulls with 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two assists, while Lithuanian Matas Buzelis contributed ten points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal. For the Nuggets, Slovenian Vlatko Cancar recorded three rebounds, whereas Croatian Dario Saric did not participate.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ Croatian forward, Karlo Matkovic, set a new personal best in the NBA, scoring 19 points, as the Pelicans defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 112-99, at Smoothie King Center. The 23-year-old finished the night shooting 7 for 11 and added eight rebounds, three assists, and one block.

The Sixers featured French player Guerschon Yabusele as their starting center, who tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Turkish Adem Bona made his return from a left ankle sprain, contributing six points, seven rebounds, two steals, one block, and one assist after missing five games.

Having been rested during the first half of a back-to-back, Austrian Jakob Poeltl delivered a great performance, recording a double-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and one assist. His effort helped Serbian coach Darko Rajakovic’s Toronto Raptors secure a 112-104 victory against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

The starting center for the Wizards, French Alex Sarr, posted 16 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal, while Serbian Tristan Vukcevic added 11 points, four rebounds, one block, and one assist. Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly remained out due to a right hamstring strain.

With Anthony Davis back on the court, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 120-101, at Barclays Center. British player Tosan Evbuomwan, assigned to the G League’s Long Island Nets, did not see action under coach Jordi Fernandez.

Final scores:
– Indiana Pacers 119, Minnesota Timberwolves 103
– Orlando Magic 118, Los Angeles Lakers 106
– Washington Wizards 104, Toronto Raptors 112
– Brooklyn Nets 101, Dallas Mavericks 120
– New Orleans Pelicans 112, Philadelphia 76ers 99
– Denver Nuggets 119, Chicago Bulls 129
– Phoenix Suns 108, Milwaukee Bucks 106
– Sacramento Kings 95, Boston Celtics 113

Standings:
1. p-Cleveland Cavaliers 57-14
2. p-Boston Celtics 53-19
3. New York Knicks 44-26
4. Indiana Pacers 42-29
5. Milwaukee Bucks 40-31
6. Detroit Pistons 40-32
7. Atlanta Hawks 35-36
8. Orlando Magic 34-38
9. Chicago Bulls 32-40
10. Miami Heat 30-41
11. Toronto Raptors 25-47
12. Brooklyn Nets 23-49
13. Philadelphia 76ers 23-49
14. e-Charlotte Hornets 18-53
15. e-Washington Wizards 15-56

1. p-Oklahoma City Thunder 59-12
2. Houston Rockets 46-26
3. Denver Nuggets 45-28
4. Los Angeles Lakers 43-28
5. Memphis Grizzlies 43-28
6. Golden State Warriors 41-30
7. Los Angeles Clippers 40-31
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 41-32
9. Sacramento Kings 35-36
10. Phoenix Suns 35-37
11. Dallas Mavericks 35-37
12. Portland Trail Blazers 32-40
13. San Antonio Spurs 31-39
14. e-New Orleans Pelicans 20-53
15. e-Utah Jazz 16-56

– The top six teams from each conference secure a playoff spot.
– Teams ranked seventh to tenth compete in the Play-Ins.

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