Hawks' Dyson Daniels joins historic NBA club with 3-game performance
Entering Tuesday's NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks (5-7) had not been achieving the collective progress they hoped to this season. Individual growth is apparent, though. Everything came together in the team's plucky and exhilarating upset win in TD Garden on Tuesday.
Onyeka Okongwu got the game-winning tip-in with six seconds left in the game, but it was the man who missed the shot that emphatically announced his presence on this night. Dyson Daniels stepped up in the absence of Trae Young and others and posted 28 points, seven assists and a tremendous six steals against the reigning champions. That last bit of his standout stat sheet vaulted him into an exclusive group.
Daniels has 19 steals in his last three games , becoming just the 11th player in NBA history to accomplish such a feat, per ClutchPoints. The third-year guard led the shorthanded Hawks to their biggest victory of the young season, which now gives them a decent chance at advancing to the knockout stage of the Emirates NBA Cup.
Can Dyson Daniels make a name for himself with Hawks this season?
The significance of this conquest may lessen in a couple of weeks as far as the public is concerned, but for Daniels, it could mark a pivotal moment in his development. While the 21-year-old Australian dazzled scouts with his athleticism when he came into the league in 2022, he now has the opportunity to morph into a more well-rounded talent.
Daniels logged only 20.0 minutes per game in his two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, but he has started 10 games for Atlanta this year while averaging 32.2 minutes per contest. The main appeal for fans in the Dejounte Murray trade were the multiple first-round draft picks the Hawks received in return. A truly great deal brings back a promising active NBA player as well, though.
Dyson Daniels is quickly becoming a valuable member of this modified roster. Even his six turnovers versus Boston cannot overshadow the imprint he left on the Celtics' flashy NBA Cup court. He and the Hawks will look to build on their gutsy performance when they welcome in the Washington Wizards to State Farm Arena this Friday.
