A PAIR of Aussies went head to head in the 2025 NBA Summer League this morning as Lachlan Olbrich‘s Chicago Bulls defeated Johnny Furphy‘s Indiana Pacers by nine points in an exciting glimpse into Australia’s NBA future.

Furphy is set to enter his second NBA campaign this season, with his Pacers falling one win short of a maiden championship, while Olbrich is fresh off being acquired by the Bulls late in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, where a record equalling four Australian players were selected.

There have been plenty of Aussies displaying their skills in the Summer League, with the preseason tournament giving youngsters a chance to make their case for minutes during the 2024/25 season. Among those to impress so far are Alex Toohey, Taran Armstrong and Tyrese Proctor.

However, Tuesday morning saw Olbrich and Furphy face off in a high-scoring clash, with both players hitting the scoreboard in the starting lineup and showcasing their skills in front of the coaching staff for their respective teams.

Chicago Bulls (114) def. Indiana Pacers (105)

Both Olbrich and Furphy stuffed the stat sheet in Tuesday’s clash in Las Vegas, and both will surely be in line for some court time in the coming NBA season at some stage after doing a bit of everything in this match.

Lachlan Olbrich – 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block

Olbrich started at the five for the Bulls, who have plenty of young talent this season and could do with putting some minutes into the young Aussie this season, given where the team is currently at. He certainly did his chances no harm against the Bulls, and played a key role in getting his team over the line.

It took a while for him to work his way into the match, missing his first shot and committing a turnover in the opening minutes, but he bounced back to deliver a well-timed pass to a cutting Matas Buzelis. From there, Olbrich began to find his groove, cutting to the basket at the right time and laying the ball in through contact for a nice and-one play.

He also showed his scoring craft in the second frame with a trademark turnaround hook shot, something he had displayed plenty of times in the NBL when playing for the Illawarra Hawks. Olbrich was also relentless on the glass, playing above his size in this department and simply outmuscling his opponent to get first hands on the ball.

He began the third quarter with a nice standing three-pointer, showing that he can score at all three levels and can be a perimeter threat, particularly when paired with a point guard who has excellent playmaking skills. He combined well with Buzelis again in the third frame with a second assist to his cutting teammate, before rounding out the frame with another layup of his own on the drive.

While Olbrich did not hit the scoreboard in the fourth frame, it was his playmaking that caught the eye the most, dishing out another two assists to show just how well-rounded his game is with a combination of scoring, rebounding and passing.

Olbrich finished the match nearly posting a double-double with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists while shooting 4/6 from the field in an incredibly promising performance from one of the draft’s biggest bolters.

Johnny Furphy – 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks

Furphy kicked off his match showcasing his defensive prowess, swatting an attempted floater by the opposition to demonstrate just how damaging he can be on both sides of the ball. He then began to get involved on the offensive end, first nailing a pair of free throws and then a nice three-pointer, but it was his next play that will be remembered for a long time.

The Aussie poked the ball from the opposition for a nice steal, gathering the ball and running very fast in transition. He created space with a nice behind the back dribble, before storming into the paint, cocking the ball back and throwing down a thunderous poster on top of the Bulls defender in the play of the Summer League and one of the best dunks in tournament history.

After finishing the first quarter on the bench, he returned to the fold in the second quarter, and again used his strength and smartness to draw contact and convert at the charity stripe. Furphy dished out a nice pass to Kam Jones on the perimeter, before rounding out his half with another transition dunk, although this one was not as violent.

The third quarter was a bit quieter from Furphy, missing his only field goal attempt from the term, but he did manage to get involved on the defensive end. The Aussie wing recorded his second block of the game when he sent back Buzelis’ attempted jumpshot to still get involved on the defensive side of the ball.

The Pacers made a push in the fourth quarter, and Furphy was involved several times as Indiana tried to chase down a deficit. His driving layup late in the piece cut the margin down to five points, before he got involved three times in a row to spark something for his team. He first found Jones with another nice assist, before driving to the basket himself to score and then creating another transition score with a steal the next possession.

Although his team ended up losing, Furphy was still incredibly impressive with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks on 5/9 shooting from the field, and like Olbrich, has shown his team that he can make an impact at the top level this year.