Headline: Sengun Soars as Rockets Dominate, Sabonis Sparks Kings Redemption in NBA Showdowns

The Sacramento Kings broke a four-game losing streak during the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-107 at Golden 1 Center on Thursday night. Domantas Sabonis, the Lithuanian forward, dominated the game with 22 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, and one steal, shooting an impressive 9-of-11 from the floor, all within nearly 35 minutes of play. Coming off the bench, his compatriot Jonas Valanciunas contributed six points, six rebounds, one steal, and one assist.

On the other side, Deni Avdija of Israel led the Trail Blazers with 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Belgian player Toumani Camara battled left foot soreness but still managed to score six points, grab four steals, collect four rebounds, make one block, and garner one assist. French player Rayan Rupert did not score in his brief two minutes of action, while his fellow French teammate Sidy Cissoko was assigned to the G League’s Rip City Remix.

Alperen Sengun spearheaded a Houston Rockets victory against the Utah Jazz, finishing with a remarkable double-double of 33 points and 10 rebounds, along with two assists and two blocks, as the Rockets won 121-110 at the Delta Center. Sengun, a 22-year-old Turkish center, played for 32 minutes and shot 11-of-19 from the field. The Jazz were without Finnish player Lauri Markkanen due to reconditioning and kept Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk inactive.

At the Kia Center, an injured right ankle didn’t deter German Franz Wagner from completing the game, ending with 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal for the Orlando Magic, who unfortunately lost 101-92 to the Dallas Mavericks. His brother Moritz Wagner remained sidelined due to left knee surgery, while Goga Bitadze from Georgia posted three points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. German player Tristan da Silva also contributed with two points and a rebound.

In an incredible display at Capital One Arena, the Indiana Pacers set franchise records for both points and three-pointers, overwhelming the Washington Wizards 162-109. Alex Sarr, hailing from France, led the Pacers in scoring with 22 points, alongside seven rebounds, one block, one steal, and one assist. Serbian Tristan Vukcevic added four points, two assists, and one rebound to the effort. Meanwhile, Bilal Coulibaly, also from France, was unable to play due to a right hamstring strain.

Wizards fans expressed their discontent by booing the Pacers for not attempting to score during the final minute of the game while leading by 53 points.

In a losing effort for the Atlanta Hawks, Czech Vit Krejci joined the starting lineup but could not secure a win, as they fell 122-112 to the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Krejci achieved 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one block. His fellow starter, French Zaccharie Risacher, managed just five points and four assists. Swiss player Clint Capela was out due to a sprain in his left fourth metacarpal ligament.

The Heat missed Serbian Nikola Jovic due to a right second metacarpal fracture. On a positive note, Swedish Pelle Larsson chipped in with three points, one steal, and one assist.

Notable game results included:
– Cleveland Cavaliers 124 – San Antonio Spurs 116
– Orlando Magic 92 – Dallas Mavericks 101
– Washington Wizards 109 – Indiana Pacers 162
– Miami Heat 122 – Atlanta Hawks 112
– Chicago Bulls 119 – Los Angeles Lakers 117
– Oklahoma City Thunder 125 – Memphis Grizzlies 104
– Utah Jazz 110 – Houston Rockets 121
– Sacramento Kings 128 – Portland Trail Blazers 107

Standings show:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 59-14
2. Boston Celtics 54-19
3. New York Knicks 45-27
4. Indiana Pacers 43-30
5. Detroit Pistons 41-32
6. Milwaukee Bucks 40-33
7. Atlanta Hawks 35-38
8. Orlando Magic 35-39
9. Chicago Bulls 33-40
10. Miami Heat 32-41
11. Toronto Raptors 26-47
12. Philadelphia 76ers 23-50
13. Brooklyn Nets 23-50
14. Charlotte Hornets 18-54
15. Washington Wizards 19-57

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 61-12
2. Houston Rockets 48-26
3. Denver Nuggets 46-28
4. Los Angeles Lakers 44-29
5. Memphis Grizzlies 44-29
6. Los Angeles Clippers 41-31
7. Golden State Warriors 41-31
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 41-32
9. Sacramento Kings 36-37
10. Dallas Mavericks 36-38
11. Phoenix Suns 35-38
12. Portland Trail Blazers 32-42
13. San Antonio Spurs 31-41
14. New Orleans Pelicans 20-53
15. Utah Jazz 16-58

– The top six teams from each conference will secure a spot in the Playoffs.
– Teams ranked seventh through tenth will move on to the Play-Ins.

Stay tuned for the latest updates!