What Dyson Daniels did in 13 seconds against Orlando

• Dyson Daniels had 20 points and five steals in Atlanta's 132-125 win in Orlando
• Jock Landale added 10 points on 4-from-5 shooting off the Hawks' bench
• Josh Giddey scored two points as Chicago lost 135-92 to Toronto

The Great Barrier Thief is back! Australian Dyson Daniels had five of Atlanta Hawks' nine steals and made big plays down the stretch to help the visitors go 1-0 to start the 2026-27 NBA season with a seven-point win against the Orlando Magic.

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic

Dyson Daniels' five steals drive Hawks past Orlando

Atlanta Hawks 132 def Orlando Magic 125 at Kia Center, 10:00am AEDT Thursday, October 22

Australian guard Dyson Daniels, 23, had 20 points and five steals in 35 minutes as the Atlanta Hawks opened their season with a 132-125 win against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). Daniels shot 8-from-13 from the field (0-from-2 from three) and 4-from-6 from the line, with four rebounds, three assists and two turnovers. He finished plus-10, and his five steals were more than half of Atlanta's nine.

Most of his scoring came in a 44-point second quarter that turned a 33-28 deficit into a 72-62 half-time lead. Daniels scored 13 in that quarter, the best of it midway through when he picked off a Paolo Banchero pass, stripped Jase Richardson 13 seconds later and finished the second steal with a driving layup for a 46-42 lead.

Orlando won the third 38-27 to lead 100-99 at the final break. Daniels turned another Banchero pass into a running dunk late in the third, scored the layup that put Atlanta ahead 110-109 with 7:49 left, and then found Aaron Wiggins for a 25-foot jumper and a 116-114 lead before Nickeil Alexander-Walker's two late threes closed it out.

Fellow Australian Jock Landale, 30, added 10 points off the bench in 19 minutes on 4-from-5 shooting (0-from-1 from three) and 2-from-2 from the line, with two rebounds, three assists, a block and no turnovers. He was minus-5, and one of his assists set up a Daniels jumper in the second quarter.

Alexander-Walker led Atlanta with 31 points, including 5-from-8 from three, and Jalen Johnson had 20 points and 14 rebounds. Banchero scored 35 points with 10 assists for Orlando.

Next: Atlanta Hawks at Charlotte Hornets, Saturday, October 24, 10:00am AEDT.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat

Rocco Zikarsky DNP as Timberwolves beat Heat in Miami

Minnesota Timberwolves 131 def Miami Heat 106 at Kaseya Center, 10:30am AEDT Thursday, October 22

Rocco Zikarsky DNP.

Timberwolves centre Rocco Zikarsky, 20, did not play as the Minnesota Timberwolves opened their season with a 131-106 win against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). He is on Minnesota's roster but was a DNP.

Anthony Edwards scored 45 points on 16-from-29 shooting with 10 rebounds, and LaMelo Ball added 21 points and six assists as Minnesota won all four quarters. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 for Miami on 13-from-19 shooting.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic, Saturday, October 24, 10:00am AEDT.

Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors

Josh Giddey held to two points in Bulls' heavy loss

Toronto Raptors 135 def Chicago Bulls 92 at Scotiabank Arena, 10:30am AEDT Thursday, October 22

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, 24, scored two points on 1-from-10 shooting in 24 minutes as the Bulls opened their season with a 135-92 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). Giddey missed all four of his attempts from three and both of his free throws, and finished with seven rebounds, six assists and five turnovers at minus-39.

His six assists still led Chicago, two of them setting up Jalen Smith dunks in the opening five minutes, and his only basket was a dunk late in the third quarter. But the Bulls shot 4-from-36 from three as a side and turned the ball over 27 times. Toronto led 43-23 after the first quarter and won all four quarters.

Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley each scored 23 for Toronto, with Quickley finishing plus-38. Matas Buzelis led Chicago with 17 points and Caleb Wilson added 16.

Next: Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks, Saturday, October 24, 7:00am AEDT.

Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies

Josh Green DNP as Ty Jerome's 45 sinks Jazz

Memphis Grizzlies 123 def Utah Jazz 103 at FedExForum, 11:00am AEDT Thursday, October 22

Jazz guard Josh Green, 25, did not play as the Utah Jazz opened their season with a 123-103 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). He was listed in Utah's box score but did not get on the floor, one of three Jazz players who did not play.

The night belonged to Ty Jerome, who scored 45 points for Memphis on 17-from-25 shooting, including 5-from-10 from three and 6-from-7 from the line, with seven rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes. He had 13 of them in the first quarter and 16 in the fourth.

Utah led 31-29 after the first quarter before Memphis won the second 35-20 to lead 64-51 at half-time, and the Grizzlies led by as many as 27. Keyonte George top-scored for Utah with 22 points, Lauri Markkanen added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Jaxson Hayes blocked six shots. The Jazz shot 35-from-76 and turned the ball over 18 times.

Next: New Orleans Pelicans at Utah Jazz, Saturday, October 24, 12:30pm AEDT.

Indiana Pacers at New Orleans Pelicans

Johnny Furphy remains out INJURED as Pacers storm home in New Orleans

Indiana Pacers 123 def New Orleans Pelicans 120 at Smoothie King Center, 11:00am AEDT Thursday, October 22

Next: Dallas Mavericks at Indiana Pacers, Saturday, October 24, 10:00am AEDT.

Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets

Kyrie Irving's third-quarter burst not enough in Houston

Houston Rockets 128 def Dallas Mavericks 110 at Toyota Center, 11:30am AEDT Thursday, October 22

Melbourne-born Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, 34, scored 15 points in 24 minutes as the Dallas Mavericks opened their season with a 128-110 loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). Irving, who represents the United States, shot 6-from-9 from the field (1-from-4 from three) and 2-from-2 from the line, with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and four turnovers, and finished minus-7.

Eleven of his points came in the third quarter, after Dallas had scored just 12 in the second and trailed 70-38 at half-time. Irving went 2-from-2 from the line, scored three layups and hit a 25-foot three in the period, the last of those layups closing the quarter as the Mavericks won it 38-30 to trail 100-76.

Houston led by as many as 37. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30 on 11-from-17 shooting, including 4-from-8 from three, Kevin Durant also had 30 and Alperen Sengun added 23 points and 10 rebounds. Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 32 points and three steals, going 11-from-13 from the line.

Next: Dallas Mavericks at Indiana Pacers, Saturday, October 24, 10:00am AEDT.

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers

Matisse Thybulle's steal and block spark Lakers' rout of Warriors

Los Angeles Lakers 127 def Golden State Warriors 105 at Crypto.com Arena, 1:00pm AEDT Thursday, October 22

Lakers guard Matisse Thybulle, 29, had three points, three rebounds, a steal and a block in 23 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers opened their season with a 127-105 win against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). Thybulle started alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and Ziaire Williams, and shot 1-from-4 from the field (1-from-2 from three), with an assist and a turnover, and finished plus-12.

His best stretch came early in the third quarter, with the Lakers up 66-52 at half-time. Thybulle picked off a Draymond Green pass and fed Ziaire Williams for a running dunk and a 72-54 lead, then blocked Yaxel Lendeborg's layup 15 seconds later. His only basket was a 23-foot three from a Quentin Grimes assist early in the fourth quarter, making it 105-70.

Walker Kessler scored 26 points on 12-from-12 shooting with nine rebounds, Luka Doncic had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Austin Reaves added 23. The Lakers won the third quarter 36-16 and led by as many as 35. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points.

Next: LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, Saturday, October 24, 1:00pm AEDT.

Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers

Duop Reath scores five off the bench in Suns' Portland thumping

Portland Trail Blazers 124 def Phoenix Suns 83 at Moda Center, 1:00pm AEDT Thursday, October 22

Suns two-way centre Duop Reath, 30, scored five points in nine minutes off the bench as the Phoenix Suns opened their season with a 124-83 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT). Reath shot 2-from-3 from the field (1-from-2 from three), with a rebound and a turnover, and finished plus-2.

He came on with 4:27 left in the third quarter and Phoenix trailing 94-57, and scored 59 seconds later with a running layup from a Jalen Green assist. He returned for the final 4:36 and closed the scoring with a 25-foot three, set up by Pat Spencer, with 10.8 seconds left. Portland led by at least 36 throughout his time on the floor, and he was one of four Suns to finish on the positive side of the ledger.

Portland won the first quarter 43-12 and led by as many as 52. Damian Lillard scored 25 points with six threes, and Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija had 18 each, Avdija adding 10 rebounds. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 23 points, going 9-from-9 from the line, as the Suns shot 6-from-31 from three.

Next: Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns, Sunday, October 25, 1:00pm AEDT.

Sacramento Kings at LA Clippers

INJURED: Ben Simmons

Elsewhere

• Washington Wizards 128 def Milwaukee Bucks 116 at Capital One Arena, 10:00am AEDT. Anthony Davis had 34 points and 12 rebounds and Trae Young 20 points and 13 assists; Tyler Herro scored 24 for Milwaukee.
• Charlotte Hornets 110 def Brooklyn Nets 103 at Barclays Center, 10:30am AEDT. Grayson Allen scored 21 and Naz Reid had 20 points and 11 rebounds; Julius Randle scored 33 for Brooklyn.