Dyson Daniels’ playmaking was on full display as he flirted with a triple-double in a crucial win over Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards led a stirring last-minute comeback to sink a Western Conference power.
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In 31 minutes, Daniels scored 11 points on 5-8 shooting and added a game-high nine assists with seven rebounds as his Hawks claimed a big road win over the seven-time NBA champs.
One of Atlanta’s primary ball-handlers post the Trae Young trade, Daniels continues to show how much he’s improved the facilitative side of his game — keeping his head on a swivel to find cutting teammates.
And while the Australian only attempted eight shots on Monday, his shots are typically high percentage ones — in the first quarter finding his way into the key and drawing a foul going up to the basket.
Hawks coach Quinn Snyder gave the Curry assignment to Nickeil Alexander-Walker to start the game, with Daniels assigned to savvy veteran Draymond Green.
The Bendigo native found Luke Kennard backdoor for a layup early in the second quarter, flashing the playmaking skills that filled Atlanta’s front office with enough confidence to deal four-time All-Star Young.
Later, he made his first shot of the evening, sinking his signature floater as he cruised into the lane.
At half-time, the six-foot-seven guard had three points, three rebounds and six assists to his name. He’d also kept Green to two points and two assists.
A big part of Daniels’ improvement this season as a ball-handling playmaker has been his willingness to make things happen with his drives into the key.
Daniels, as well as rapidly-ascending teammate Jalen Johnson, is one of just 27 NBA players to have registered 400+ drives this season. That puts the Aussie alongside renowned names including reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson.
Importantly, Daniels has made kickout passes on 14.1 per cent of those drives — behind only Russell Westbrook on that list of 27 — and committing a turnover just 6.1 per cent of the time.
It means he’s getting into dangerous spots with the ball and creating chances for his teammates while keeping ball security front of mind.
The Hawks didn’t look back in the second half, outscoring Golden State by 10 points in the third quarter to take a 16-point lead into the last that they never looked like relinquishing.
Daniels falling three rebounds and one assist shy of a triple-double on Monday comes after he recorded his first career triple-double last time out against Denver.
Curry finished with 31 points in 33 minutes but did it shooting just 3-11 from distance.
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Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sparked defending champion Oklahoma City to victory on Monday while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half.
“We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.
“We hit some shots in the second half and that got us going.”
Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Chet Holmgren added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder while Andrew Wiggins led the Heat (20-19) with 23 points.
A day after losing at Cleveland, Minnesota edged the visiting Spurs 104-103 on a bank shot by Anthony Edwards with 16.8 seconds to play.
“Ant-Man” had 23 points while Donte DiVincenzo scored 19, reserve Naz Reid added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert grabbed 14 rebounds.
Victor Wembanyama, who scored five points in San Antonio’s game-opening 16-0 run, led the Spurs with 29 points but the French star and De’Aaron Fox each missed go-ahead shots in the dying seconds.
Second-place San Antonio (27-12) fell 5.5 games behind the Thunder atop the Western Conference with the T-Wolves another 1.5 games back at 26-14.
Another thriller came in Canada as Toronto’s Scottie Barnes made the winning free throw with 0.8 of a second remaining in overtime as the Raptors edged Philadelphia 116-115, denying the 76ers a sixth win in seven games.
Barnes led Toronto with 31 points while Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 38 for the Sixers.
Jamal Shead made a jumper for Toronto with 1.9 seconds to play in regulation to force overtime at 107-107.
A three-pointer by V.J. Edgecombe lifted the Sixers level with 16.1 seconds remaining in overtime before Kelly Oubre’s foul on Barnes set up the deciding free throw.
Elsewhere, New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 26 points while O.G. Anunoby added 24 to lead the Knicks to a 123-114 triumph at Portland, snapping the Trail Blazers’ five game win streak.
Anunoby made two three-pointers in an 11-0 Knicks run to seize a 114-104 lead and Portland could not overtake New York again.
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks while Deni Avdija led Portland with 25 points.
Denver’s Aaron Gordon scored 23 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 26 off the bench to lead the Nuggets over visiting Milwaukee 108-104.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks.
Orlando’s Desmond Bane scored 27 points as the host Magic rallied in the fourth quarter to beat New Orleans 128-118.
Cedric Coward scored a game-high 21 points and sank two three-pointers in a game-ending 13-0 Memphis run as the Grizzlies defeated visiting Brooklyn 103-98.
Royce O’Neale’s 19 points led host Phoenix over Washington 112-93.
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