October 9, 2019 - Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja made their Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers debut in the NBA preseason on Tuesday evening. Bojan Bogdanovic made his Utah Jazz break on October 5.

Gol.hr reports that Dario Saric hit the court in a new NBA jersey on Tuesday - the jersey of the Phoenix Suns. In his debut, Saric received 17 and a half minutes on the court against his former team Minnesota Timberwolves. The game ended 111:106 for the Suns, and Saric contributed four points, seven rebounds, and one assist.

Ahead of the meeting, Phoenix coach Monty Williams said he would give his major players between 17 and 20 minutes on the court. As we know, Saric received 17 and a half, while DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker each booked 21 minutes and Ricky Rubio 20.

The Croatia national team representative had a poor shooting night in which he hit just one of five attempts in the game. He scored one of two from the free-throw line, though he did catch seven rebounds, six of which were in the defense.

Mario Hezonja debuted for the Portland Trail Blazers in a 105:94 defeat to the Denver Nuggets and was the team's top scorer with 12 points in 20 minutes (3/5 for two-pointers, 0/2 for three-pointers), adding six rebounds and two assists. Hezonja also entered the game from the bench. 

ITSA HE-A MARIO pic.twitter.com/JKewzjJuPK

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 9, 2019

Luka Samanic did not get a chance to play in the San Antonio Spurs defeat to Miami Heat 108:89.

Recall, a few days before on Saturday, Bojan Bogdanovic debuted for the Utah Jazz. Namely, the Jazz was convincing against the Australian Adelaide 36ers (133:81), and the Croatia captain scored 10 points with four rebounds and assists in 20 minutes on the court. 

The Utah Jazz was led by Tony Bradley with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jeff Green added 16. Bogdanovic was one of seven players to hit double-digits on the winning team.

Bojan 3
Jeff 3
Nigel 3 pic.twitter.com/jPYPjPagQ6

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 6, 2019

The regular NBA season will begin on October 22, 2019.

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Dario Šarić is joining his third NBA club, though his arrival to the young and powerful Phoenix Suns dims the hopes of another Croat in the Phoenix ranks, Dragan Bender,  reports 24 Sata on June 21, 2019.

Dario Šarić is a new member of the Phoenix Suns! The Croatian representative was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves hours before the draft for the sixth selection in the first round. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Šarić, the No. 11 NBA draft pick, for the No. 6 pick in the draft. 

Thus, our Croatian basketball star will defend the colors of his third NBA club next season, after bouts at the Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 25-year-old Šibenik-native arrives at the Phoenix Suns to a young and powerful team where the main stars are Devin Booker (22) and last year’s first draft pick Deandre Ayton (20). The Phoenix Suns thanked T.J. Warren for his time with the Suns before his trade to join Bojan Bogdanović at the Indiana Pacers, thus opening a sport for Šarić in the starting five.

The Phoenix Suns have a number of young but quality players like Kelly Oubre (23), Mikal Bridges (22) or Josh Jackson (22), and there is still the experienced 39-year-old Jamal Crawford. The arrival of Dario Šarić has unfortunately dimmed the hopes for another Croat in Phoenix, Dragan Bender, who had a somewhat modest season. 

The Phoenix Suns were the weakest team in the Western Conference for the last three seasons, with only 64 victories in 246 matches. However, the team is young and is still under construction, and with good picks, they could catch the playoffs in a year or two. But for now, this seems like an impossible mission.

Recall, Šarić was transferred to Minnesota in November as part of a trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers. He didn’t lock in the best season with Minnesota, averaging only 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds throughout his 68 games with the Wolves. 

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April 16, 2019 - In an exclusive interview for Dnevnik Nova TV on Monday, Croatian basketballer Dario Šarić spoke about the NBA season behind him and the collapse of the Croatia national team. 

Two days ago, Mario Hezonja became only the second Croatian basketball player after Toni Kukoč to hit a triple-double in the NBA league. Now, he’s set a new career record. 

Mario Hezonja played another great game in the New York Knicks jersey. The Croatian basketball player found a place in the starting lineup and made his debut as a point guard for the New York club. But better yet, he also achieved the first triple-double of his career against James Harden's Houston Rockets, reports Gol.hr on April 6, 2019. 

Apart from making his debut as the Knicks’ point guard on Friday night, with a spot in the starting five, Mario Hezonja achieved the first triple-double of his career with 16 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. The Knicks’ might have lost to the Houston Rockets (120:96), but it’ll be a game Hezonja will remember for a lifetime.

"Super Mario" has thus become only the second player in Knicks’ history with at least 16/16/11 in a single game. Before he was only Richie Guerin in 1957. It was also the first triple-double of a Knicks’ player after Jarrett Jack’s on January 11, 2018, and he even became the first Croatian after Toni Kukoč with a triple-double performance. 

"He had a great game, organized us, called for real attacks, attacked when he had to attack and did a great job on rebounds,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said.

Harden had a relatively quiet evening for his standards lately. He still scored 26 points and eight assists in just 29 minutes on the court, while Chris Paul (11 points, 10 assists) and Clint Capela (12 points, 15 rebounds) achieved double-doubles.

Hezonja was given a chance to start as the point guard as Emmanuel Mudiay is out for a left shoulder injury. Hezonja showed he was indeed worthy of his spot on the Knicks' team. 

Dario Šarić scored 19 points (4/6 for two-pointers, 2/4 for three-pointers, 5/5 free throws) in the Minnesota Timberwolves' win against Miami Heat (111:109).

Ante Žižić scored 12 points with six rebounds in the Cleveland Cavaliers' close defeat to the Western Conference leader Golden State Warriors, led by Steph Curry with 40 points, seven assists and six rebounds. The Warriors celebrated 120:114.

Dragan Bender’s Phoenix Suns won against the New Orleans Pelicans after extra time 133:126 (117-117). The Croatian scored 11 points and added six assists and 10 rebounds. The most efficient was Jackson with 35 points, nine assists and five rebounds.

Ivica Zubac scored 11 points in the derby of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers and added eight rebounds. 

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Croatian basketball player Mario Hezonja played the best match of his NBA career against his former team, Orlando Magic. Despite the New York Knicks defeat (114:100), coach David Fizdale praised Hezonja after the game and revealed that he was the one to motivate the Croatian player.

Ivica Zubac and his Los Angeles Clippers have moved into 5th place in the NBA's Western Conference, which secures them a spot in the playoffs. 

The Los Angeles Clippers celebrated at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks 124:113 in the first match of the Sunday NBA program. In the battle of two Croatian basketball players, Clippers’ center Ivica Zubac was better than Marijo Hezonja, reports Index.hr on March 24, 2019. 

Both were members of their team’s starting lineup on Sunday. Zubac spent 20 minutes in the game, and during that time scored 10 points with 4/5 shots in play, ten rebounds, one assist, and one block. Hezonja was on the court for 25 and a half minutes, scoring six points (2/9 shots in play, 0/3 three-pointers), and added five rebounds, three assists, and one block.

The Clippers’ 44th win this season was led by Lou Williams who scored 29 points and seven assists, Danilo Gallinari with 26 points and eight rebounds and Montrezl Harrell with 24 points. In their 60th defeat this season, Knight Emmanuel Mudiay scored 26 points, and DeAndre Jordan had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks. 

The Clippers have almost and theoretically secured the playoffs while New York is at the bottom of the charts with convincingly the worst record in the NBA league this season.

In other NBA news, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dario Šarić defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112:99, while the Croatian basketball player participated with 11 points (shots in play 3/9, three-pointers 3/6), four rebounds, three assists, and one steal and one block.

The top scorer for Minnesota, which broke a series of five defeats, was Karl-Anthony Towns with 33 points and 23 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins added 22 points and Josh Okogie 17. Mike Conley led Memphis with 23 points.

The Phoenix Suns and Dragan Bender recorded another defeat over the weekend, losing 112:103 to the Sacramento Kings. Bender, who played in the starting lineup, hit four baskets (shots in play 2/6, three-pointers 0/3) in 36 minutes on the court, adding four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Bojan Bogdanović had another stellar game over the weekend, scoring 35 points in his Pacers’ win against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. The Croatian also added six rebounds and three assists. Ante Žižić’s Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 127:105. 

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Bojan Bogdanović and his Indiana Pacers lost to Ivica Zubac and the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Tuesday. 

Bojan Bogdanović continued leading his Indiana Pacers with excellent form in the Eastern Conference before the playoffs.