Red-hot Dyson Daniels dunks on Furphy's 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.

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

NBA Scores: Orlando Magic 98 Cleveland Cavaliers 114

The Cleveland Cavaliers surged past the Orlando Magic 114–98, using a dominant middle stretch to turn an early deficit into a comfortable home win. Cleveland improved to 28–20 overall (16–11 at home), while Orlando couldn’t sustain its strong opening quarter after leading by double digits early.

After trailing by 10 late in the first, the Cavaliers flipped the game with a 39-point second quarter, then kept control with a composed third. Donovan Mitchell was the clear difference, exploding for 45 points on 15-of-25 shooting, including five threes, repeatedly breaking down Orlando’s defence when the Magic threatened to hang around. Evan Mobley added 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Cleveland shot 53 percent from the field and 44 percent from three, consistently generating cleaner looks than their opponents.

Off the bench, Australian guard Tyrese Proctor made the most of his minutes, finishing with 6 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in 14 minutes, knocking down both of his three-point attempts. Proctor’s stint coincided with Cleveland maintaining control of tempo, providing spacing, ball movement and defensive pressure as the Cavaliers steadied the game whenever Mitchell rested.

For Orlando, Paolo Banchero carried the offensive load with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but support was limited. The Magic shot just 28 percent from three and struggled to match Cleveland’s physicality and execution once the game tightened, conceding control well before the final buzzer.

NBA Scores: Philadelphia 76ers Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets delivered a dominant wire-to-wire performance to crush the Philadelphia 76ers 130–93, blowing the game apart before halftime and never looking back. The win lifted Charlotte to 19–28 overall (9–13 at home), while Philadelphia’s slide continued as they fell further down the standings.

Charlotte set the tone early with a relentless pace and shot-making barrage, outscoring Philadelphia 41–22 in the second quarter and 40–15 in the third to build an insurmountable lead. The Hornets shot 55 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, consistently punishing defensive breakdowns and winning the possession battle with a 53–34 rebounding edge.

Brandon Miller headlined the starters with a blistering 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting, drilling six threes and finishing a team-best +40. LaMelo Ball orchestrated efficiently with 11 points and 8 assists, while Charlotte’s frontcourt controlled the paint and the glass throughout.

Off the bench, Australian wing Josh Green delivered exactly what Charlotte needed in his 21 minutes, finishing with 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal, while posting a strong +21. Green’s impact went beyond the box score – sprinting the floor, defending multiple positions, and keeping the ball moving as Charlotte’s second unit extended the lead rather than giving anything back.

Philadelphia struggled to find rhythm on either end. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 17 points, but the visitors shot just 39 percent overall and were overwhelmed by Charlotte’s depth, ball pressure and transition offence as the Hornets cruised home in one of their most complete performances of the season.

NBA Scores: Portland Trail Blazers 94 Boston Celtics 102

Australian Boomers centre Duop Reath was a DNP-coach's decision for the Trail Blazers.

NBA Scores: Golden State Warriors Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA Scores: Los Angeles Lakers 129 Chicago Bulls 118

The Los Angeles Lakers outgunned the Chicago Bulls 129–118 in Chicago, riding elite shot-making and star power to a road win that stalled the Bulls’ momentum. Chicago fell to 23–22 overall (15–9 home) after struggling to contain the Lakers’ perimeter firepower across all four quarters.

Los Angeles set the tone offensively from the outset, scoring 35 points in both the first and third quarters and shooting a blistering 56 percent from the field and 48 percent from three. Luka Dončić was the difference, torching Chicago for 46 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds, repeatedly punishing switches and late help. LeBron James added 24 points, while the Lakers’ bench delivered decisive production to keep the Bulls at arm’s length whenever the starters rested.

For Chicago, Australian guard Josh Giddey was a clear bright spot off the bench, finishing with 19 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes. Giddey provided playmaking, size and composure in secondary actions, consistently generating good looks for teammates and attacking mismatches when the Bulls needed offence. His ability to organise the floor helped Chicago stay competitive through the middle stages despite the Lakers’ scoring bursts.

Coby White led the Bulls’ starters with 23 points, while Nikola Vučević posted 18 points and 11 rebounds, but defensive breakdowns and an inability to slow Dončić proved costly. Chicago shot a solid 52 percent overall, yet conceding 129 points underscored the challenge of matching the Lakers’ offensive ceiling on the night, even with strong contributions from Giddey and the second unit.

NBA Scores: Memphis Grizzlies 99 Houston Rockets 108

Australian centre Jock Landale didn't suit up for the Grizzlies against his former club.

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