The meeting between the Bulls and the Bucks was marked by two returns: that of Josh Giddey on the Chicago side, and Damian Lillard on the Milwaukee side. At the finish, it was the young Australian who burst into the limelight with the collective victory, and a superb triple-double on a personal level with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists! This is his second under his new colors, and it already allows him to write his name in the history books of the franchise.
The former Thunder leader is the first Bulls player since Jimmy Butler in 2017 to achieve several triple-doubles in the same season. He is also the youngest to do so since… Michael Jordan! Another good point: his defense on Khris Middleton, even though it’s not really his strong point.
“Josh has size, and he tried not to foul him and force him to shoot over him. This is what we hoped for,” enjoyed Billy Donovan. “Middleton put some shots in the middle and he’s difficult to deal with because he has size and he can shoot, but I thought Josh was really competitive and fought in defense. »
Finally on the ground in “money time”
A great creator, Giddey also distinguished himself by his “clutch attitude” with this 3-pointer to give a three-point lead 50 seconds from the end, then this rebound followed by the two free throws to seal the victory for the Bulls in the last seconds. Enough to demonstrate that his place is on the field in hot moments.
“It’s good to be on the field in the 4th quarter. In this atmosphere, the public was incredible and we fed off this energy. Not just me, but the others too who finished the match,” explains the Australian. “I think we played really well at the end of the match. We stayed calm, we kept our composure and there was a very good team up front. It’s an experienced team that won a title. She knows how to finish matches…”.
On the Donovan side, it is still the defense of his young leader which is at the heart of his analysis. “I see progress in this sector and I see competitiveness”insists the Bulls coach. “He has size, wingspan and good support. The most important thing is how he can get through screens and I think he fights well in those situations. He can do it, but he has to be consistent… When you point things out to him, he realizes the areas (that he needs to improve). He likes watching videos, he wants to find ways to improve. He is ready to progress in this area and I see significant progress. »
| Josh Giddey | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | OKC | 54 | 32 | 41.9 | 26.3 | 70.9 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 12.5 |
| 2022-23 | OKC | 76 | 31 | 48.2 | 32.5 | 73.1 | 1.9 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 16.6 |
| 2023-24 | OKC | 80 | 25 | 47.5 | 33.7 | 80.6 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 4.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 12.3 |
| 2024-25 | CHI | 27 | 27 | 45.2 | 32.7 | 71.0 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 11.9 |
| Total | 237 | 29 | 46.3 | 31.2 | 74.6 | 1.6 | 5.6 | 7.2 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 13.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
