To overturn a 24-point deficit against Philadelphia Sixers, Josh Giddey shone with his second consecutive triple-double, something not seen since Michael Jordan almost 40 years ago.
Whilst the hero of this duel between Chicgo Bulls and Philadelphia Sixers was Nikola Vucevic thanks to his shot in the final moments, the main architect of this victory was Josh Giddey. Without Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago were quite logically dominated by the Sixers in the first half to the point of even trailing by 24 points.
Giddey reflects on historic comeback
However, the Bulls, in the wake of a strong Josh Giddey, came back into the match after the break. With just over a minute remaining, the point guard penetrated the Sixers' paint and executed a floater that brought his team to within one point. The final possession of the match came into the Australian's hands and he took advantage of a Kevin Huerter screen to get past Kelly Oubre Jr, but in the paint he encountered Joel Embiid, who had come to close off access to the rim. Thinking clearly, the former Oklahoma City Thunder player spotted Nikola Vucevic in the opposite corner and sent him the ball. The Montenegrin did not flinch and succeeded with a long-distance dagger to give his team victory (113-111).
Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey and Tre Jones celebrate team's win
"It is one of the best victories I have been part of, especially when you think about all the deficit we had in the third quarter," Josh Giddey reacted after the encounter. "We managed to get ourselves out of that difficult situation, it was incredible. It was a good test for our group to see how we were going to react after our first defeat against New York. This group showed incredible resilience to come back as we did in the second half."
Not seen since Michael Jordan
In the defeat against the New York Knicks, Josh Giddey had already recorded a triple-double, but that had not been enough to save his team. Against Philadelphia, the Australian point guard once again recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in 37 minutes of play to bring victory to the Illinois franchise. A performance that enters Bulls history as Josh Giddey is the first Chicago player since Michael Jordan during the 1988-89 season to record two consecutive triple-doubles.
"It is cool. I am not going to come here and downplay it," Josh Giddey appreciated. "But I think everything individual stems above all from victory."
Behind a strong Josh Giddey who is averaging 22 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.7 assists since the start of the season, the Bulls have won six of their first seven matches and sit alone at the top of the Eastern Conference.
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