It was a painful day in the NBA for Boomers teammates Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale, with injury adding to the disappointment of a loss for their Atlanta Hawks.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for the Aussies, with fellow Boomer Tyrese Proctor saluting with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Landale's Saturday night (Sunday AEDT) came to an early end in New Orleans, where he injured his left hip in the first minute of the Hawks' 121-99 road loss to the Pelicans. The 31-year-old was forced to leave the court and was unable to return.
Daniels, affectionately known as the "Great Barrier Thief" for his defensive excellence, had a typically solid game for Atlanta, with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Despite Daniels' best efforts, the home side proved less than welcoming hosts with Saddiq Bey leading the way with 25 points.
Jeremiah Fears added 20 points, and Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III each scored 15 for the Pelicans (2-4), who led by 28 en route to their second straight victory.
CJ McCollum, playing in New Orleans for the first time since the Pelicans traded him to Washington in June 2025, scored 14 points for Atlanta (3-4).
The Hawks, who have lost four of their past five games, missed 38 of 46 three-point shots and never trailed by fewer than 10 points after falling behind by that amount late in the first quarter.
Making matters worse for Atlanta, reserve guard Kingston Flemings, who scored 12 points, received a technical foul and was ejected for elbowing Pelicans reserve guard Bryce McGowens in the face during the final minutes.
New Orleans raced to a 35-18 lead in the first quarter, when they shot 56 per cent and turned eight Hawks turnovers into 16 points.
In Milwaukee, Evan Mobley top-scored with 27 points and Jarrett Allen had 25 as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised past the Bucks 136-111.
Mobley connected on 11-of-16 shots while Allen made 12-of-16 for Cleveland (4-2), who bounced back after having their three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday at Atlanta.
Australia's Proctor had a busy night for Cleveland, contributing nine points, four rebounds, five assists and a steal.
Kel'el Ware had 19 points and Tyler Herro 15 for Milwaukee (1-5).
In Tennessee, rookie Cameron Boozer had 27 points and nine rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies remained the only unbeaten team in the NBA with a 136-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Grizzlies' 6-0 record matches the 2014-15 season for the best start in franchise history.
In North Carolina, Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points as the Philadelphia 76ers proved they could win without stars LeBron James and Joel Embiid, battling back to beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-104.
The sellout crowd of 19,533 at the Spectrum Centre didn’t get to see James and Embiid play as the 76ers rested both one night after beating the New York Knicks 98-93 in an intense NBA Cup game.
In other results, the Portland Trail Blazers blew past the Utah Jazz 112-90, the Houston Rockets beat the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-111 for their fourth straight victory.
- With The AP
