Aussies Abroad: Giddey spoils Proctor's party

AAP.

Australian guard Tyrese Proctor has shone in his first NBA start for Cleveland, but the milestone was spoiled by compatriot Josh Giddey, who played a key role in Chicago’s 136–125 win.

Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic each scored 24 points as the Bulls pulled away in the final period at Rocket Arena on Saturday (AEDT) for their second victory over the Cavaliers in three days. Vucevic, who also grabbed 15 rebounds, had 11 points and six boards in the fourth quarter, helping Chicago (12–15) secure consecutive wins for the first time in a month.

Giddey finished with 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds as one of seven Bulls players to score in double figures.

It was a mixed night for rookie guard Proctor, the No.49 overall pick in this year’s draft, who recorded 16 points in a career-high 27 minutes on court. The 21-year-old from Sydney also contributed six rebounds and three assists.

Darius Garland scored a season-high 35 points for Cleveland (15–14), who were without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell due to illness, while Nae’Qwan Tomlin added 15 points off the bench. The contest was tied at 115-all before Vucevic sparked a decisive 17–8 Chicago run with seven points.

Australian forward Luke Travers had four points and three rebounds in less than six minutes on court for the Cavaliers.

Elsewhere, Boomers star Dyson Daniels had 11 points, six rebounds and three assists for Atlanta in their 126–98 loss to San Antonio. Daniels failed to record a steal for just the second time this month, after his remarkable 70-game streak with at least one steal ended in late November.

Victor Wembanyama finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs (20–7), registering his first double-double in more than a month.

Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points and VJ Edgecombe added 23 as Philadelphia became just the second visiting team to win at Madison Square Garden this season, defeating the New York Knicks 116–107.

Boston’s Derrick White posted a season-high 33 points and matched a career best with nine three-pointers as the Celtics pulled away for a 129–116 win over the Miami Heat.

In the late game, Minnesota overcame the early ejection of coach Chris Finch to hand Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City just their third loss of the season. The Timberwolves closed on an 8–0 run to seal a 112–107 victory, with Anthony Edwards leading the way on 26 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points for the Thunder but lost possession in the final seconds, sealing the Wolves’ win.