Career night: Lockdown Dyson's eight steals in win

• Australian Dyson Daniels has career high EIGHT steals
• Daniels is the first Hawks player to have eight steals and two blocks in 50 years
• Daniels is leading the league in steals per game

Australian guard Dyson Daniels had a career night in the Atlanta Hawks' 13-point win against the Minnesota Timberwolves (Game Centre) on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, in Atlanta.

The 21-year-old recorded a career-high eight steals — the most in a single NBA game since 2021 — while holding NBA superstar Anthony Edwards to just 7-from-20 from the field in the 117-104 triumph.

Daniels' eight steals were just two short of Atlanta's single-game franchise record, held by Mookie Blaylock. Blaylock is Atlanta's all-time assist leader, with 1,321 in 518 games. He set the franchise record of 10 against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14, 1998. He was three short of the NBA's all-time single-game record 11, set by Kendall Gill in 1999.

Daniels now has 89 steals on the season, at an average of 3.18 per game in 28 games. The NBA record is held by Alvin Robertson, who had 301 for the San Antonio Spurs in 1986.

Through 30 games, Daniels is facing a tough, uphill battle to break Robertson's all-time record. He needs to average a near-impossible 4.1 steals in the Hawks' 52 remaining games. Regardless, he is on track to become a first-team All-NBA defender.

But Atlanta's all-time season record of 212 is a legitimate goal for Daniels. Blaylock holds the top six single-season steals records for Atlanta.

The Atlanta Hawks soared past the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-104, led by Garrison Mathews' career-high 25 points off the bench. Mathews caught fire from beyond the arc, draining a remarkable 7-from-8 three-pointers to help the Hawks snap a three-game losing streak and even their record at 15-15.

The game was a tale of two halves, with Atlanta bursting out of the gates to take a commanding 35-19 lead after the first quarter. Minnesota battled back in the second, outscoring the Hawks 36-17 to trim the deficit to just three points at halftime.

However, the Hawks regained control in the fourth quarter, pulling away with a 35-19 run to secure the victory.

Trae Young masterfully orchestrated the Hawks' offence, finishing with 29 points and seven assists. His ability to penetrate the Timberwolves' defence opened up opportunities for Mathews and others on the perimeter. Jalen Johnson contributed a solid all-around performance with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, showcasing his developing playmaking skills.

Naz Reid provided a spark off the bench with 23 points for the Timberwolves, but it wasn't enough to overcome their collective shooting woes. Minnesota struggled from the field, hitting just 42.9% of their shots compared to Atlanta's efficient 53.4%.

The disparity was even more pronounced from three-point range, where the Hawks connected on 50% (18-36) of their attempts, while the Timberwolves managed only 32.6% (14-43).

The loss was particularly frustrating for the Timberwolves, who have now dropped three straight games and are at .500 on the season. Anthony Edwards, usually a reliable scorer, struggled with his shot, going just 7-for-20 from the field for 16 points, largely because of Daniels' outstanding defence.

Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was a non-factor offensively, managing only 2 points in 28 minutes.

The Hawks will aim to build on this momentum as they face Josh Giddey (listed as day-to-day) and the Chicago Bulls (Game Centre) at home on Friday, December 27, 2024.

For the Timberwolves, it's back to the drawing board as they travel on Christmas Day (US) to face the Dallas Mavericks (Game Centre) on Thursday, December 26, 2024. They hope to rediscover their early-season form, which had them near the top of the Western Conference standings.