By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis improved his NBA personal best to 22 points as the Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards, 132-101, at Capital One Arena on Sunday. The 19-year-old combo guard shot a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point range en route to 8-of-10 field goals overall. He added six assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block in 25:57 off the bench. “I’m just trying to stay ready. Whenever I have the opportunity, I try to embrace it,” he noted in a postgame interview, commenting on his DNP in the previous game of the 2025-26 Regular Season. “Every game is different, but every game provides an opportunity. I made a couple of shots, I was feeling good, and I kept taking good shots instead of trying to force it. Whenever the ball came to me, I was ready.”
Fellow European reserves for Erik Spoelstra, Italian Simone Fontecchio recorded 12 points, five rebounds, three steals, and three assists in 19:04, while Serbian Nikola Jović tallied four points, two assists, one steal, and one rebound in 5:36, helping the Heat improve to 28-26 amid a tight battle for a postseason berth. However, Swede Pelle Larsson (right elbow contusion) sat out, and Russian Vladislav Goldin was assigned to the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Wizards featured two French starters, with Alex Sarr posting a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double with five assists while playing through left ankle soreness, and Bilal Coulibaly producing seven points, four rebounds, and one block in 33:30 despite lower back soreness, while Serbian reserve Tristan Vukcevic notched 14 points and five rebounds in 19:54 while nursing a sore right knee.
Overcoming the second straight absence of British forward OG Anunoby (right toe soreness), the New York Knicks overpowered the Boston Celtics, 111-89, at TD Garden. Frenchman Mohamed Diawara chipped in 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting, three rebounds, one steal, and one assist over 26:30, while fellow Frenchman Pacome Dadiet added two rebounds and an assist over 3:31, and German Ariel Hukporti did not get on the board in 3:49. For the Celtics, Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic had 11 points, six rebounds, and one block in 23:39, Bosnian starter Luka Garza tallied six points, and Portuguese center Neemias Queta finished with four points and five rebounds. Spanish rookie Hugo Gonzalez added two points, while Ukrainian Max Shulga remained on assignment with the Maine Celtics.
Beyond a 41-point display by Kawhi Leonard, Swiss center Yanic Konan Niederhauser scored 15 points, including 5-of-5 on two-pointers, and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 115-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. French veteran Nicolas Batum added three points, while Serbian Bogdan Bogdanović did not play. For the Wolves, Frenchman Rudy Gobert recorded 10 points and seven rebounds, while Italian Donte DiVincenzo struggled, finishing with just one point in 23 minutes.
Finally, the Toronto Raptors, coached by Serbian Darko Rajakovic, defeated the Indiana Pacers 122-104 at Scotiabank Arena. Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed 17 points and four rebounds in the win. While Austrian Jakob Poeltl (lower back strain) is nearing a return to competition after a two-month absence, he remained sidelined. For the Pacers, Croatian center Ivica Zubac was unavailable as he and fellow recent acquisition Kobe Brown had only just arrived in Indiana following a trade.
Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown have touched down in Indy 🛬 pic.twitter.com/DRjGWW18an
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 9, 2026
Sunday results
Boston Celtics – New York Knicks 89-111
Washington Wizards – Miami Heat 101-132
Toronto Raptors – Indiana Pacers 122-104
Minnesota Timberwolves – Los Angeles Clippers 96-115
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 38-13
2. Boston Celtics 34-19
3. New York Knicks 34-19
4. Cleveland Cavaliers 32-31
5. Toronto Raptors 32-22
6. Philadelphia 76ers 30-22
7. Orlando Magic 27-24
8. Miami Heat 28-26
9. Atlanta Hawks 26-28
10. Charlotte Hornets 25-28
11. Chicago Bulls 24-29
12. Milwaukee Bucks 21-29
13. Brooklyn Nets 14-37
14. Washington Wizards 14-38
15. Indiana Pacers 13-40
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 40-13
2. San Antonio Spurs 36-16
3. Denver Nuggets 34-19
4. Houston Rockets 32-19
5. Los Angeles Lakers 32-19
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 32-22
7. Phoenix Suns 31-22
8. Golden State Warriors 28-25
9. Los Angeles Clippers 25-27
10. Portland Trail Blazers 25-28
11. Memphis Grizzlies 20-31
12. Dallas Mavericks 19-33
13. Utah Jazz 16-37
14. New Orleans Pelicans 14-40
15. Sacramento Kings 13-42
-Top 6 teams from each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth from each conference advance to the Play-Ins
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