Australian rising star Josh Giddey was exceptional in OT 127-123 win against the Knicks, ending the night with a triple-double, and made history in the process.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder hit the rebuild a few years ago when they let Paul George go to LA for a multitude of picks. However, they might just have to accelerate the process with the emergence of their young star guard in Josh Giddey.
When the Thunder drafted the Australian with their 6th overall pick, they obviously saw something in the 6’9 teenager. However, not even his biggest fan would have expected him to play at such a high level. As of now, Giddey is in firm contention to take home ROY honours.
The rookie is averaging an impressive 12.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game this season. Moreover, he remains a triple-double threat on a nightly basis. And the 19-year-old further strengthened his case for the award with a historic performance against the Knicks on the biggest stage of them all, Madison Square Garden.
Josh Giddey has his eighth 10-assist game, breaking a tie with Luka Doncic for the 3rd most such games by a teenager in NBA history. Only LeBron James (11) & Stephon Marbury (9) have more pic.twitter.com/wRpunLc8lv
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 15, 2022
Josh Giddey becomes the youngest player to have a triple-double against the Knicks.
New York, and especially, Madison Square Garden, is considered the MECCA of basketball, and it’s where the visiting players try to put on a show and a night to remember. Case in point: Michael Jordan’s nickel game or Steph Curry’s coming-out party with a 54-point game.
Recently, the Thunder visited the Knicks at MSG, and just like everyone, Josh Giddey wanted to show out at the Garden as well. And he did so with a historic performance. The rookie had a triple-double on the night, ending with 28 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds, leading the OKC to a 127-113 OT win.
I love the garden 😁
— josh giddey (@joshgiddey) February 15, 2022
And in doing so, he created history. The 19-year-old became the youngest player to record a triple-double against the NY Knicks, eclipsing Magic Johnson, who previously held the record.
Youngest player with a triple-double against the #Knicks at MSG:
Josh Giddey 19-127
Magic Johnson 20-175
Luka Doncic 20-259 pic.twitter.com/JJwleg0a27— Marc Weber (@MarcWeberSports) February 15, 2022
Josh Giddey had 28/11/12 tonight. He is the youngest player in NBA history to record:
— A 20-point triple-double
— A triple-double in consecutive games
— A triple-double vs the KnicksHe doesn’t turn 20 until October. pic.twitter.com/hrvArAbdB5
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 15, 2022
While triple-doubles are not indictive of winning basketball, Giddey makes tons of smart plays that should excite Thunder fans. With Shai and Giddey, OKC has one of the best young backcourts in the league, they look all set to have found the cornerstones to build around for the foreseeable future.