Kiwi centre Steven Adams continued to find form for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but could not prevent them slipping to an NBA home loss against the Indiana Pacers.
After struggling through the opening month of the season, Adams led the Thunder with 20 points and nine rebounds in a 107-100 home defeat.
The seven-footer (2.13m) shot a perfect 8/8 from the field and 4/4 from the free-throw line, padding his statline with three assists and two blocks.
Over the past three games, Adams has averaged 16.3 points, shooting an impressive 21/26 (80 percent) from the field.
"I think he's kind of getting back to where he normally was, the guy we're used to seeing,"observed OKC coach Billy Donovan.
"Everything for him looks a lot better."
Adams was hampered by a troublesome knee injury during the opening weeks of the campaign, but has performed strongly more recently.
His efforts helped his team to three wins in four games, but losing to the Pacers was a setback for a club that now sits at the bottom of the Northwest Division with eight wins and 12 losses.
The Thunder are reeling from the off-season loss of stat point guard Russell Westbrook and shooter Paul George, while many expect Adams could also be traded by the rebuilding franchise.
They host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday (NZ time), with Adams facing a formidable challenge in All-Star centre Karl-Anthony Towns.
