The Oklahoma City Thunder lose to the Milwaukee Bucks, but Nikola Topic’s debut dominates the headlines. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Dallas Mavericks, with LeBron James setting a new record with a triple-double.
The Bucks win in Oklahoma City without Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the champions were also missing Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein, who was rested. However, the story of the game was Nikola Topic’s debut. The Serbian, who was drafted in 2024, first suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and was then diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The 20-year-old was substituted in during the second quarter to thunderous applause. The guard scored two points and made one assist in twelve minutes. The Bucks were in control of the game, with former Thunder player Ousmane Dieng emerging as the match winner with 19 points, eleven rebounds, and four blocks. Cam Thomas (12, 5/13), on the other hand, did not shoot as well as he had the day before in Orlando. OKC shot only 37 percent from the field, with only Isaiah Joe (17, 4/9 three-pointers) finding his range. Chet Holmgren (16, 13 rebounds) recorded a double-double. The Thunder, leaders in the West, are now only three games ahead of San Antonio.
NBA: Holiday secures victory for the Blazers
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz rested Lauri Markkanen again and lost to Portland, who won the third quarter 40-23 and laid the foundation for their victory. Jrue Holiday led his team with 31 points (10/15 FG), while center Donovan Clingan (23, 18 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks) posted a strong double-double. Even 21 turnovers were no problem, as the Blazers made 18 three-pointers. Brice Sensabaugh (28) was the top scorer for the hosts.
NBA: LeBron James sets triple-double record
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers had no trouble with Dallas without Cooper Flagg. They also pulled away decisively thanks to a strong third quarter (32:18). In the absence of Luka Doncic, LeBron James recorded a triple-double with 28 points (10/20 FG), ten rebounds, and twelve assists, unsurprisingly making him the oldest player in NBA history to achieve this feat. Austin Reaves (18) also impressed again coming off the bench. Maxi Kleber played just under 13 minutes against his former team, scoring five points and grabbing one rebound for the Würzburg native. Naji Marshall (19) was the Mavs’ top scorer, but the forward was unable to finish the game due to a foot injury. The same was true for center Daniel Gafford (ankle).
