Emerging Australian pair Tyrese Proctor and Luke Travers saw crucial playing minutes late for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday (AEDT), with a host of starters absent.
In the Cavs’ 130-116 win over the Miami Heat, rookie guard Proctor played key fourth-quarter minutes with second-year guard Travers while the margin was a matter of points.
Proctor played 23 minutes off the bench — second amongst Cavaliers reserves — and posted 12 points on 4-15 shooting and 2-8 from three with two rebounds and two assists.
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It came as key starters Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland were all sidelined for rest or injury reasons.
While six-foot-five shooter Proctor wasn’t at his efficient best from the field, his aggressiveness on offence remains promising, and he was a +19 in his time on the floor.
Travers, meanwhile, played 12 minutes for four points, four rebounds and two blocks. He was a +11.
In the fourth quarter, Proctor re-entered the game at the 10:31 mark and played alongside his compatriot until Travers was pulled with 7:47 remaining.
In the time they shared together on the hardwood, Proctor assisted a driving Travers floater after he’d blocked a layup attempt by Miami’s Simone Fontecchio up the other end.
Proctor also hit a key three-pointer at the 8:34 mark, extending Cleveland’s then-one-point lead to four points.
The Sydney product played all the way through that key stretch before being subbed out with 2:56 left and his team up 11 points.
Notwithstanding the Cavs’ outs, head coach Kenny Atkinson’s willingness to play Proctor and Travers in the fourth quarter with the result in the balance is indicative of the increasing trust he has in the Aussie pair.
Pre-game, Proctor spoke of the ease with which he’s been able to acclimate at the NBA level.
“I’m just trying to play my role, and I think the locker room that we have makes it real easy to play my game,” he said.
On what he’s hoping to show with his playing opportunities, Proctor said: “Most importantly, just get the win … with all the starters out, just come in and play our game.
“Keep the energy and tempo. Just come out with the win in the end.”
DYSON’S ALL-ROUNDER IN HAWKS’ STATEMENT
Dyson Daniels produced an all-round performance in the Atlanta Hawks’ 133-100 road belting of the Sacramento Kings.
The six-foot-eight defensive menace played a team-high 27 minutes and finished with five points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. He was also a +38 in his time on the floor.
Daniels now has the tied-fourth-longest streak for consecutive games with a steal at 64.
The man they call the ‘Great Barrier Thief’ continues to play an enhanced offensive role in the absence of injured All-Star guard Trae Young, flashing his facilitative and shot-making abilities.
STEPH STUNS SPURS, WEMBY
Stephen Curry scored 22 of his 46 points in the third quarter as the Golden State Warriors erased a 16-point deficit to stun Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 125-120.
The Warriors handed the Spurs a first home defeat of the NBA season, snapping their three-game winning streak despite triple-doubles from both Wembanyama and teammate Stephon Castle.
Wembanyama delivered 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists and Castle added 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
San Antonio led by as many as 16 in the second quarter, but the Warriors cut the deficit to seven at halftime and seized the lead on a Curry three-pointer with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter.
The Spurs inched back in front on a trey from Devin Vassell, but Curry answered with a jump shot that put them back in front 81-80 and they never trailed again.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
The Orlando Magic handed the New York Knicks their first home defeat of the season, overcoming the early departure of star forward Paolo Banchero to triumph 124-107 at Madison Square Garden.
Banchero had scored just four points when he limped out with a groin injury early in the second quarter.
But he still celebrated his 23rd birthday with a win as Franz Wagner scored 28 points and pulled down nine rebounds to propel the Magic.
Desmond Bane added 22 points and eight assists as six Orlando players scored in double figures.
Jalen Brunson scored 31 points for New York, helping the Knicks cut a 21-point third-quarter deficit to single digits midway through the fourth.
Orlando’s lead was back to 15 when Brunson exited with less than two minutes remaining with an apparent leg injury.
In Detroit, Paul Reed scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the red-hot Pistons to an eighth straight victory, despite the absence of star guard Cade Cunningham — who took a hard fall in a win on Monday and was absent with a hip contusion.
Duncan Robinson added 23 points and Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points and handed out 12 assists for Detroit in their 124-113 win over the Chicago Bulls, who dropped a fourth straight decision since starting the season 6-1.
The Pistons, whose long injury absentee list also included Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson, led wire to wire, pushing the advantage to as many as 23 points in the third quarter and hanging on after the Bulls — led by 21 points and 14 rebounds from Matas Buzelis — cut the deficit to one early in the fourth quarter.
