Australian guard Dyson Daniels has continued his hot form with 10 first-quarter points, but couldn’t prevent his Atlanta Hawks being overrun in a tough NBA loss to Portland.
Shaedon Sharpe led the Trail Blazers with a game-high 32 points, including his team’s final 11 and the go-ahead three-pointer with just over one minute left in their 114-110 win.
Dalano Banton (23 points) and Robert Williams III (14) were also important for the home team on Monday morning (AEDT).
Daniels entered the contest in the form of his life, having matched NBA icon Michael Jordan’s 1989-90 record of tallying 15-plus points and five-plus steals in four consecutive games.
The 21-year-old Bendigo product looked on track to do it again when he found his shooting touch early, helping Atlanta to a 33-21 lead at the end of the first period.
But it quickly deserted Daniels, whose field-goal percentage dipped below 30 for the second time this season.
He finished with 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, with Trae Young (29 points) and Jalen Johnson (25) leading the Hawks’ scoring.
Daniels remains the NBA’s leader in steals this season, averaging 3.8 a game.
In Chicago, Jock Landale got one over Boomers teammate Josh Giddey as Houston ran up a big score in their 143-107 hammering of the Bulls.
Fred VanVleet (28 points) top-scored for the Rockets, with Landale tallying five points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Giddey had nine points, nine boards and five assists for the Bulls, who were led by Zach LaVine (15 points).
Ben Simmons went scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting, adding eight assists and four rebounds, in Brooklyn’s 114-104 defeat to New York.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 26 points as one of four starters with at least 20 points, while Cameron Johnson (22 points) top-scored for the Nets.
Cleveland also had four starters score 20 points or more, led by Darius Garland’s 25, in a 128-114 win over Charlotte that extended the Eastern Conference leaders’ unbeaten start to the season (15-0).
In Minneapolis, Julius Randle hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to cap his 35-point night and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 120-117 win over the Phoenix Suns.
