Master thief Dyson Daniels has taken his breakout NBA season to new heights, equalling an impressive Michael Jordan streak as he continues to relish the chance to help lead at Atlanta.
Coming off a career-high 28 points in Tuesday night's 117-116 win at defending champions Boston, Daniels continued his scoring surge with 25 points to help the Hawks beat Washington 129-117 in the NBA Cup.
Daniels made 10 of 14 shots from the field and paced the Wizards' defence with six steals.
The Australian, recruited by New Orleans with pick No.8 in the 2022 draft, is turning more and more heads in his first season with Atlanta.
The Bendigo product has now tallied 15-plus points and five-plus steals in four consecutive NBA games.
No other player has achieved that feat since Jordan in the 1989-90 season, while he also became the first player since Alvin Robertson (1986) to record six-plus steals in four straight games.
"The more steals I get, the more I’m able to get out in transition," Daniels told reporters.
"That’s how a lot of my points are coming, breaking the paint, getting in transition, and getting to the rim.
"I'm just playing free, being myself, making plays on the defensive end."
The 21-year-old is making himself heard on the court too.
"We got a really good team. They take feedback really well," he said.
"I've always been a pretty good vocal leader growing up.
"You see all the great leaders that make mistakes, they don't make them again because they communicate with their teammates. It's good playing with this team because everyone takes that feedback and implements it."
Daniels is averaging a league-best 3.8 steals per game, with Washington's Jordan Poole next on that table.
"His ability to impact the game is unique," Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said.
"He's got a good sense of how to be solid and not gamble, but to also use his anticipation opportunistically to impact the game with steals. He's appreciated on a lot of levels."
Meanwhile, Australians Josh Giddey and Ben Simmons both had quiet games while their sides suffered contrasting defeats on Saturday (AEDT).
Brooklyn lost 124-122 to the New York Knicks despite scoring 40 points in a dramatic final-quarter comeback.
Simmons had seven rebounds, five assists and four points for the Nets.
Jalen Brunson made a go-ahead three-pointer for the Knicks with 6.2 seconds left after his team had blown a 21-point lead.
Chicago were outclassed 144-126 by Cleveland, who are now 14-0 for the season.
The Cavs are the sixth team to go 14-0 and first since the Golden State Warriors opened 24-0 in 2015-16.
Cleveland's 14-game winning streak is the longest in the club's 55-year existence.
Giddey scored five points and spent 15 minutes on court during the lopsided match.
In San Antonio, LeBron James had 15 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists as the LA Lakers opened the defence of their NBA Cup title with a 120-115 victory over the Spurs.
With Reuters.
