'Miss-a-BULL': Giddey sits out loss to Miami Heat

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Australian star point guard Josh Giddey missed today's Miami Heat clash because the Bulls are managing his hamstring rehabilitation. Giddey logged 29 minutes in yesterday's loss in Indiana and is being held out on the second night of a back-to-back as the Chicago Bulls manage his workload.

Chicago has another back-to-back this weekend in the US, making further load management a possibility. Isaac Okoro and Kevin Huerter are expected to absorb additional minutes in Giddey’s absence.

NBA Scores: Houston Rockets 104 Atlanta Hawks 86

Team Records: Houston (29-17) │ Atlanta (24–26)

Game Snapshot

Quarter Scores: Q1 23–23 │ Q2 20–19 │ Q3 35–24 │ Q4 26–20
Largest Lead: Houston by 22
Game Flow: Houston broke the game open with a dominant 35–24 third quarter

Houston seized control after halftime, turning a narrow one-point lead into a decisive road win with a commanding third-quarter stretch. The Rockets lifted their defensive pressure, dominated the glass, and consistently generated paint touches, outscoring Atlanta 35–24 in the third before carrying the margin comfortably through the final period. Houston finished with a 59–46 rebounding edge and forced Atlanta into inefficient half-court possessions across the second half.

Australian guard Dyson Daniels logged 31 minutes for Atlanta, finishing with four points, seven assists, and six rebounds, adding three steals while working through a low-efficiency shooting night as Houston controlled the tempo.

Kevin Durant led Houston with 31 points, five rebounds, and four assists, setting the tone offensively across all four quarters. Jabari Smith Jr. added a two-way impact with 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and five blocks, while Alperen Şengün contributed nine points, 13 rebounds, and four assists to anchor Houston’s interior control. Atlanta was led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 20 points, with CJ McCollum providing 23 points off the bench, but the Hawks were held to 37 percent shooting overall as Houston pulled away.

By the Numbers

FG: HOU 42% │ ATL 37% │ 3PT: HOU 39% │ ATL 31% │ FT: HOU 70% │ ATL 86% │ Rebounds: HOU 59 │ ATL 46 │ Assists: HOU 23 │ ATL 19 │ Turnovers: HOU 11 │ ATL 12

🇦🇺 Box Scores

• Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks): 31 minutes │ 4 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists │ FG: 2–12 │ 3PT: 0–3 │ FT: 0–0 │ +/–: +2

NBA Scores: Miami Heat 116 Chicago Bulls 113

Australian star Josh Giddey missed the Bulls home loss to the Miami Heat because of the back-to-back. He is also on minutes restrictions coming off a hamstring strain. Fellow Australian Lachlan Olbrich suited up for Chicago but was a DNP-Coach's Decision.

NBA Scores: Charlotte Hornets 123 Dallas Mavericks 101

Team Records: Charlotte (20–28) │ Dallas (19–28)

Game Snapshot

Quarter Scores: Q1 33–20 │ Q2 26–38 │ Q3 34–35 │ Q4 30–28
Largest Lead: Charlotte by 13
Game Flow: Charlotte held off Dallas late after trading runs across the second half

Charlotte built early separation with a 33–20 opening quarter and absorbed multiple Dallas counters to secure a narrow 123–121 road win. The Hornets leaned on perimeter shot-making and consistent offensive pressure across all four quarters, finishing with 20 made threes and holding composure late as Dallas surged behind a dominant individual scoring performance.

Australian wing Josh Green played 15 minutes off the bench for Charlotte, finishing with two points and three rebounds, working through a limited offensive role as the Hornets relied on their primary scoring options to close the game.

Kon Knueppel led Charlotte with 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 8-of-12 from three, while Brandon Miller added 23 points and six rebounds and LaMelo Ball finished with 22 points and nine assists. Miles Bridges contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in a balanced effort. Dallas was carried by Cooper Flagg’s explosive 49-point, 10-rebound performance, but the Mavericks were unable to complete the comeback despite winning the second and third quarters.

By the Numbers

FG: CHA 47% │ DAL 47% │ 3PT: CHA 49% │ DAL 33% │ FT: CHA 94% │ DAL 88% │ Rebounds: DAL 50 │ CHA 45 │ Assists: CHA 28 │ DAL 26 │ Turnovers: CHA 10 │ DAL 8

🇦🇺 Box Scores

• Josh Green (Charlotte Hornets): 15 minutes │ 2 points, 3 rebounds │ FG: 1–2 │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 0–0 │ +/–: –8

NBA Scores: Oklahoma City Thunder 111 Minnesota Timberwolves 123

Team Records: Minnesota (30–19) │ Oklahoma City (38–11)

Game Snapshot

Quarter Scores: Q1 34–22 │ Q2 29–28 │ Q3 33–30 │ Q4 27–31
Largest Lead: Minnesota by 24
Game Flow: Minnesota established control early and maintained separation across all four quarters

Minnesota set the tone from the opening quarter and never relinquished control, building a double-digit lead early and absorbing each Oklahoma City response to secure a 123–111 home win. The Timberwolves generated consistent perimeter looks, dominated the interior late, and punished defensive breakdowns to keep the Thunder chasing throughout the night. Minnesota shot 51 percent from the field and 47 percent from three, repeatedly stretching the floor to blunt Oklahoma City’s transition pressure.

Australian veteran Joe Ingles appeared briefly off the bench, logging three minutes in a low-usage role as Minnesota rotated through its depth during extended control of the game.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Jaden McDaniels delivered an efficient 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a perfect 5-of-5 from three. Rudy Gobert anchored the interior with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Naz Reid added 18 points off the bench. Oklahoma City was paced by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but the Thunder struggled to sustain momentum defensively as Minnesota’s balance and shot-making dictated the contest.

By the Numbers

FG: MIN 51% │ OKC 48% │ 3PT: MIN 47% │ OKC 35% │ FT: MIN 61% │ OKC 90% │ Rebounds: MIN 46 │ OKC 36 │ Assists: OKC 27 │ MIN 26 │ Turnovers: OKC 15 │ MIN 19

🇦🇺 Box Scores

• Joe Ingles (Minnesota Timberwolves): 3 minutes │ 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists │ FG: 0–1 │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 0–0 │ +/–: –10