27
Jan
Aussies in the NBA
Red-hot Dyson Daniels dunks on Furphy's Pacers
Australian Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 27, 2026 (AEDT) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
Highlights
Australian Dyson Daniels drops 22 points on 10-15 from the field as the Hawks roll Indiana Pacers
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NBA Scores: Indiana Pacers 116 Atlanta Hawks 132
The Atlanta Hawks exploded down the stretch to dismantle the Indiana Pacers 132–116, piling on 37 points in the fourth quarter to turn a competitive three-quarter contest into a comfortable home win. Atlanta improved to 22–25 overall (8–13 at home), while Indiana’s difficult season continued at 11–35.
The decisive swing came after halftime. Indiana briefly threatened behind Pascal Siakam’s interior scoring, but Atlanta’s pace, spacing and shot-making steadily wore them down. The Hawks shot 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from three, repeatedly punishing late rotations and broken coverage as the Pacers struggled to string together stops once the game opened up.
At the centre of it all was Australian guard Dyson Daniels, who delivered a commanding all-round performance. Daniels finished with 22 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, a steal and a block, shooting 10-of-15 and rarely forcing the issue. His impact, including two monster jams, was most pronounced late, where his ability to collapse the defence, make the right read, and keep Atlanta organised underpinned the Hawks’ fourth-quarter surge. Daniels’ control of tempo contrasted sharply with Indiana’s looseness with the ball as Atlanta consistently turned advantage situations into quality looks.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (21 points, five threes) provided perimeter punch, while Atlanta’s bench swung the game decisively. CJ McCollum and Luke Kennard combined for efficient scoring and playmaking, blowing open the margin whenever Indiana’s second unit was on the floor.
For the Pacers, Australian wing Johnny Furphy was a bright spot despite limited opportunity. In 18 minutes, Furphy recorded 6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, showing strong off-ball instincts, activity on the glass and disruptive defence in the passing lanes. His +15 plus-minus reflected his impact during Indiana’s better stretches, even as the team as a whole was overwhelmed late.
Siakam led Indiana with 26 points and 9 rebounds, but with the Pacers conceding 132 points and losing the fourth quarter by 13, the night ultimately reinforced the gap between Atlanta’s shot-making depth and an Indiana side still searching for consistency and structure as the season wears on.
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The Greatest Lists: 25-1: Greatest power forwards in NBA history I 20-to-1: The greatest point guards in NBA history I 25-1: Greatest small forwards in NBA history I 25-1: Greatest shooting guards in NBA history I Ranked: The 19 smoothest jumpers in NBA history I Top 30 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time
