Aron Baynes spilled blood in Detroit's demolition of Oklahoma City while fellow Australian Joe Ingles also had his best game of the NBA season but failed to get Utah over the line on Monday night against Memphis.
In the absence of Detroit's All-Star centre Andre Drummond, Baynes stepped up with a season-high 20 points as the Pistons hammered the Thunder 104-88.
Baynes also added eight rebounds to lift the Pistons (6-5) to their fifth straight victory at home despite being without Drummond, who was sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Baynes came within a point of his career high and played tough defence on rugged Kiwi Steve Adams, who had just four points in 29 minutes.
"Aron is a starting centre in the NBA," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said.
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"The only reason people don't know that is because we've got an All-Star ahead of him."
Russell Westbrook had 33 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for Oklahoma City (6-5), who have dropped four games in a row.
Baynes was hit on his protective mask by Westbrook late in the fourth quarter and needed medical attention to stop the bleeding from his previously broken nose.
"Tonight was my last night with the mask, and it was good to have it on," he said.
Baynes' Boomers teammate Ingles also chipped in with a career-high 20 points but it wasn't enough as the Grizzlies held off the Jazz 102-96.
Memphis led by as many as 13 points, but the Jazz kept answering with big plays from Ingles and Trey Lyles (18 points).
Marc Gasol grabbed 22 points and Mike Conley had 18 points and seven assists for the Grizzlies.
Meanwhile, Andrew Bogut timed a one-handed dunk from a Seth Curry alley-oop pass to perfection but Dallas were outclassed again to extend their poor start to the season.
Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis each scored 24 points for the New York Knicks in their 93-77 victory, with Bogut contributing four points, nine rebounds and one assist for the Mavericks.
At halftime, the Knicks benched Joakim Noah, their $US72 million ($A95 million) free-agent signing, starting guard Justin Holiday and moving Porzingis to centre in a small line-up.
They responded by scoring 31 points in the third quarter after managing just 36 in an ugly first half.
Elsewhere, Australian star Patty Mills scored 10 points - including hitting both three-point attempts - and had three rebounds and three assists in San Antonio's 94-90 win over the Miami Heat.
Anthony Davis had 25 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and two blocks as the New Orleans Pelicans won for only the second time in their first 11 games, 106-105 over the Boston Celtics.
CJ Miles made four three-pointers and scored 16 points as the Pacers spoiled Frank Vogel's return to Indiana in a 88-69 victory.
