Kiwi centre Steven Adams has dominated the boards to help Memphis Grizzlies to a 134-124 NBA win over Brooklyn Nets.
Adams, 29, clocked 31 minutes in the victory, leading all rebounders with 13 - including four at the offensive end - and scoring nine points, as his team improved to 3-1 early in the new season.
All-Star guard Ja Morant and sharpshooter Desmond Bane scored 38 points and dished seven assists each, shooting a combined 12/17 from beyond the arc.
Memphis scored eight unanswered points to edge away from their visitors in the third quarter, extending their advantage to 15 point later in that period and then withstanding the Nets challenge down the stretch.
But the result was another setback for Brooklyn and Kiwi general manager Sean Marks, after a challenging offseason that saw superstar Kevin Durant call for Marks and coach Steve Nash to lose their jobs.
While Durant and Kyrie Irving scored 37 points each, troubled Aussie Ben Simmons continued to struggle in his attempt to find a niche in his new team, fouling out with seven points, eight assists and five turnovers.
The guard has fouled out of two of the Nets' three games this season and was embarrassingly baited into his disqualifying foul by Morant, as they battled to close the margin late.
Brooklyn matched their opponents around the basketball, but shot just 9/29 (31 percent) from long distance.
"The three-point line killed us," said Durant. "It was that three-point line that separated us.
"The fact that they knocked down more threes than us, that's the name of the game now. Even if you're not playing well or up to par with your opponent, if you're making threes, you give yourself a chance."
The Grizzlies next visit Sacramento Kings on Friday (NZ time), while the Nets travel to Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
