A bucket and a block: Rocco ticks off personal milestone

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Rookie Aussie big man Rocco Zikarsky has ticked off his second personal NBA milestone in a matter of weeks after scoring his first bucket and swatting away the first block of his career in a loss against the Orlando Magic at the Target Center.

Zikarsky, who has been dominant in the G League for the Iowa Wolves all season, made his NBA debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 23, but his one rebound was the only stat he managed to record.

Today was a different story, despite the Sunshine Coast product earning playing time because Minnesota were being blown out by the Magic, Zikarsky made the most of his five fourth-quarter minutes.

The former Brisbane Bullets NBL Next Star used his length to block a shot with just under five minutes left in the final period, forcing a shot clock violation from Orlando, before making a left-hand push shot over opposing big man Goga Bitadze to become the latest Australian to score a field goal in the NBA.

His minutes were a due reward for Zikarsky after his red-hot form for Iowa, averaging 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the G League, while shooting an incredible 46% from the three-point line.

The 19-year-old 7'2" talent appears to have developed at a rapid pace for the Timberwolves after being drafted 45th overall in last year's draft.

Zikarsky's latest career milestone follows an already long list of accolades, having come through the Basketball Queensland high performance system, winning a National Under-18 Championship along the way, before making his way to the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence to further improve his game.

He then spent two seasons under Justin Schueller at the Bullets, showing glimpses of the impact he can make at the professional level, and while he struggled for consistent playing time in his second season with Brisbane - there was always a public perception his game sutied the NBA style better than the NBL.

NBA BOX SCORE: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Orlando Magic

Poor second and fourth quarters have cost the Minnesota Timberwolves after going down to the Orlando Magic 119-92 at home.

Orlando outscored the Timberwolves 33-20 in the second and 29-14 in the fourth to record the 27-point victory. But it wasn't all doom and gloom for Minnesota with Aussie rookie Rocco Zikarsky playing five minutes in the fourth quarter for two points and one block.

Aussie veteran Joe Ingles was a DNP Coach's Decision but was back with the team after missing the two previous games due to personal reasons.

NBA BOX SCORE: Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers

Dyson Daniels and the Atlanta Hawks have overtaken the Charlotte Hornets as the hottest team in the NBA after winning their sixth straight game following a 125-116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the State Farm Arena.

Daniels fell just short of a double-double with 15 points, going 7-from-10 from the field and 1-from-2 from beyond the arc, as well as nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in the nine-point win.

Daniels also became the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 2000 points, more than 1000 rebounds, more than 1000 assists and more than 450 steals behind legends such as LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Chris Paul.

The Hawks, who have been in red-hot form since the All-Star break, have won the most games on the trot in the league after the Hornets lost yesterday.

They are now just two wins away from sixth spot in the Eastern Conference.