12
Mar
Aussies in the NBA
Daniels plants 'Flagg' as Hawks surge above .500
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks battles Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on March 11, 2026 (AEDT) in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Highlights
Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey and Josh Green impact wins as Australians shape key NBA results.
- Josh Giddey and The GOAT: Bulls star equals Michael Jordan
- Dream Weaver: Will is new Brisbane Bullets coach
- Dyson Daniels 'underrated' skill sparking Atlanta Hawks run
NBA Scores: Atlanta Hawks 124, Dallas Mavericks 112 (Final)
- State Farm Arena – Atlanta
- Quarter Scores: ATL 40–26 │ DAL 27–24 │ DAL 38–31 │ ATL 29–21
- Largest Lead: ATL by 22
- Game Flow: Atlanta set the tone early with a 40-point first quarter, absorbed a Dallas third-quarter surge, then closed with control.
Atlanta moved to 34–31 with a 124–112 home win against Dallas, driven by a balanced offensive performance and strong backcourt play. Australian guard Dyson Daniels delivered one of his most complete outings of the season, finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes as the Hawks generated 52% shooting and controlled tempo throughout the night.
Daniels orchestrated Atlanta’s offence from the opening tip, pushing pace after defensive rebounds and consistently finding shooters on the perimeter. His three steals and zero turnovers highlighted a clean decision-making performance, while his +20 plus/minus reflected Atlanta’s control during his minutes.
Off the bench, fellow Australian Jock Landale logged 15 minutes in the rotation. Landale went scoreless on 0-from-5 shooting but contributed three rebounds, one assist and a block, working primarily in second-unit defensive coverage as Atlanta maintained its lead across the middle quarters.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 29 points on 12-from-19 shooting, while Jalen Johnson added 27 points and eight assists. Onyeka Okongwu anchored the interior with 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
Dallas fell to 21–44 despite 21 bench points from Klay Thompson and 14-point, 12-rebound efforts from both Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford. The Mavericks shot 48% from the field but were unable to recover from the early deficit.
By the Numbers
- Atlanta: FG 49-95 (52%) │ 3PT 14-36 (39%) │ FT 12-18 (67%) │ Rebounds 45 │ Assists 29 │ Turnovers 9
- Dallas: FG 41-86 (48%) │ 3PT 13-32 (41%) │ FT 17-22 (77%) │ Rebounds 43 │ Assists 28 │ Turnovers 14
NBA Scores: Chicago Bulls 130, Golden State Warriors 124 (OT) (Final)
- Chase Center – San Francisco
- Quarter Scores: GS 30–26 │ CHI 31–21 │ 32–32 │ GS 35–29 │ CHI 12–6 (OT)
- Largest Lead: CHI by 10
- Game Flow: Golden State surged late to force overtime before Chicago controlled the extra period.
Chicago improved to 27–38 with a 130–124 overtime road win against Golden State, powered by a dominant all-around performance from Australian guard Josh Giddey. The 23-year-old finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists in 43 minutes as the Bulls generated 64 rebounds and controlled the glass in the closing stages.
It was Giddey's 28th career triple-double, equaling Michael Jordan on the all-time list.
Giddey dictated tempo across the second half and overtime, repeatedly initiating offence through high-screen actions and finding cutters in the lane. His 17 assists marked a game-high and his +14 plus/minus reflected Chicago’s composure during decisive stretches, despite five turnovers in heavy usage minutes.
Matas Buzelis delivered the scoring punch with 41 points on 16-from-28 shooting, while Leonard Miller added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Tre Jones contributed 22 points off the bench as Chicago shot 45% from the field and overcame Golden State’s late fourth-quarter run.
Golden State fell to 32–33 despite balanced production across the rotation. Draymond Green scored 12 points on 4-from-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while Kristaps Porziņģis and Moses Moody each added 17 points from the bench.
By the Numbers
- Chicago: FG 50-112 (45%) │ 3PT 15-47 (32%) │ FT 15-18 (83%) │ Rebounds 64 │ Assists 34 │ Turnovers 12
- Golden State: FG 44-105 (42%) │ 3PT 20-54 (37%) │ FT 16-18 (89%) │ Rebounds 49 │ Assists 30 │ Turnovers 12
NBA Scores: Charlotte Hornets 103, Portland Trail Blazers 101 (Final)
- Moda Center – Portland
- Quarter Scores: POR 34–20 │ CHA 26–21 │ CHA 32–27 │ CHA 25–19
- Largest Lead: POR by 16
- Game Flow: Portland controlled the first half before Charlotte rallied after halftime and executed late possessions to seal the road win.
Charlotte improved to 33–33 with a 103–101 comeback victory against Portland, with Australian wing Josh Green playing a key bench role in the closing stages. Green logged 21 minutes and finished with three points and three rebounds, posting a team-best +16 plus/minus as the Hornets overturned a double-digit deficit.
Green provided defensive activity and transition pressure during Charlotte’s third-quarter surge, helping disrupt Portland’s perimeter rhythm. His minutes came across multiple lineup combinations as the Hornets leaned into smaller, more mobile units to change momentum after halftime.
Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Kon Knueppel added 15 points and LaMelo Ball contributed 14 points and four assists. Charlotte dominated the glass 52–42 and generated 12 steals to create additional scoring opportunities.
Portland fell to 31–35 despite 24 points from Jerami Grant and 22 points from Deni Avdija. Scoot Henderson added 17 points off the bench, but the Trail Blazers were held to 19 points in the fourth quarter as Charlotte completed the comeback.
By the Numbers
- Charlotte: FG 34-88 (39%) │ 3PT 14-38 (37%) │ FT 21-25 (84%) │ Rebounds 52 │ Assists 21 │ Turnovers 16
- Portland: FG 35-83 (42%) │ 3PT 16-42 (38%) │ FT 15-18 (83%) │ Rebounds 42 │ Assists 23 │ Turnovers 18
