Josh Giddey hasn’t just played up to the four-year, $100 million ($A153m) contract he secured in the off-season; he’s outplaying it.
Meanwhile, Aussie compatriot Dyson Daniels enhanced his offensive workload in the absence of sidelined All-Star guard Trae Young.
But Giddey, whose case for a maiden All-Star berth rapidly firms, secured his second consecutive triple-double of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday AEDT.
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He became the first Chicago player to record back-to-back triple-doubles since the legendary Michael Jordan achieved the feat in the 1988-89 season. He also passed Scottie Pippen (6) for second-most 20-point triple-doubles in Bulls franchise history.
Chicago’s primary ball-handler finished with a team-high 29 points on 10-19 field goal shooting, 15 rebounds and 12 assists as the Bulls came from 24 points down to stun the Sixers 113-111 and move to 6-1 on the season.
It was the biggest Bulls comeback since 2021, and it was capped by an incredible game-winning assist by Giddey to Nikola Vucevic for a three-pointer with 3.2 seconds left in the game.
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Giddey remains aggressive in trying to secure second-chance opportunities. Late in the first quarter, he battled to snatch an offensive rebound before dribbling into his first three-point make of the evening.
The six-foot-seven guard also continues to be a determined downhill driver — with those slashes resulting in either a floater attempt or a shot at the basket.
In short, he’s making a healthy habit of creating high-percentage opportunities near the rim.
The Bulls were blitzed by an explosive 76ers lineup in the early going, but Giddey continued to provide an offensive spark for the otherwise dour home side.
A favourite move for the Australian has been a calculated drive into the key before getting his defender on his back and then deciding whether to dish or shoot from close range.
Giddey joins MJ with 29-PT triple double | 01:51
In the second quarter, at one stage impressively spinning on his defender before firing outside to Jalen Smith for an open three.
“Josh Giddey again (is) setting the table up nicely,” Bulls icon and broadcast analyst Stacey King said.
“Watch Giddey against the defence — three guys collapse (close on him). (It) shows you what teams feel about Josh Giddey when the ball is in his hands … the presence of mind to find the open guy in the corner.”
In the third quarter, Giddey — rapidly closing in on a second-straight triple-double, and 20th of his career — even drew a Philadelphia charge as the Bulls started to make a comeback.
And he achieved the feat with his 10th assist of the night, finding Smith for an open three-ball in the right corner.
Giddey never stopped being aggressive with the ball in his hands, driving to the basket and looking for contact with his big frame to draw fouls.
“He’s playing at a high, high level this year,” King said in the fourth period.
“Sometimes when you get these big contracts, the pressure gets to these players … but he has not struggled. He looks like an All-Star.
“He knows when his team needs to score, and he’s become aggressive when they need a basket most from him.”
Late in the fourth quarter, the offence flowed through Giddey. A fast-break layup put the Bulls within three points.
Giddey made another shot inside the key with 1:19 left to make it a one-point difference.
To top it off, down one point with 14 seconds remaining, the Aussie floor general drove hard and tossed an insane wraparound pass to find Nikola Vucevic in the corner for the go-ahead three-pointer.
“This kid is a phenomenal player. He’s 23 years old, and I think people forget that,” King said on the broadcast.
“He’s played a lot of basketball for his national team. He is an exciting player, he’s starting to feel so much more confidence now, knowing that this is his team … he is just running with that (opportunity).
“If he keeps playing like he’s playing, he’ll be an All-Star this season.”
DYSON HELPS FILL TRAE VOID
Daniels had one of his best performances of the young season to help fill the void of injured superstar teammate Trae Young, who is sidelined with a knee ligament sprain.
The athletic six-foot-eight guard scored an equal-season-high 18 points on an uber-efficient 8-9 shooting with six rebounds, six assists and two steals as the Atlanta Hawks breezed past the Orlando Magic 127-112 to square their season ledger at 4-4.
He was also a game-high +25 in the plus-minus category in a team-high 35 minutes of action.
Daniels, the league-leader in steals last season, played a key role shutting down star Magic guard Franz Wagner, but he was also efficient on the offensive end and facilitated with the ball in his hands.
Daniels began on a positive note, dishing to a cutting Zacharie Risacher to put the Hawks up 6-4 early.
An impressive Daniels spin move against Orlando big man Wendell Carter Jnr was a particular highlight, and it wasn’t the only time he pulled that one out of his bag.
Daniels again went back to the spin move in the second quarter, finishing for the second time with a floating shot.
The defensive menace also sunk a three-ball in the first half, doing his part to help fill the void left by Trae Young.
In the third quarter, the man they call ‘Great Barrier Thief’ snuck up on Orlando’s Jalen Suggs and pickpocketed the guard, before going in transition for the layup.