In an explosive night of basketball at the United Center, Australian star Josh Giddey stunned the entire NBA by leading the Chicago Bulls to a convincing 127-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only did he notch his sixth triple-double of the season, but Giddey also surpassed New York Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier on the all-time triple-double leaderboard, marking a historic milestone in his career.
The game came at a time when the Bulls desperately needed a win to regain their form after an impressive 5-0 start followed by a slump. At just 23 years old and in his fifth NBA season, Giddey shone brightly with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He shot an efficient 5/11 from beyond the arc and committed only 3 turnovers—a complete performance that allowed the Bulls to dominate from start to finish. This marked his 24th career triple-double, officially surpassing Walt Frazier’s 23 and moving him into 23rd place on the all-time list. Just one more triple-double, and Giddey will catch Clyde Drexler at 22nd.
Giddey’s surge is no fluke. After signing a 4-year, $100 million extension with the Bulls, he is enjoying the best form of his career, averaging 20.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. This not only helps the Bulls regain confidence but also solidifies Giddey’s status as one of the top point guards in the NBA today. The win over the Cavaliers—a strong opponent—is clear evidence of the Chicago “Bulls” roaring back to life.
In this matchup, another Australian, Tyrese Proctor of the Cavaliers, played just 7 minutes, recording 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Despite his team’s loss, Proctor remains part of the growing list of Aussie talents competing in the NBA. Additionally, Jock Landale of the Memphis Grizzlies continues his impressive season, though his game against the Minnesota Timberwolves was still ongoing at the time of this article.
With this performance, Josh Giddey has not only dropped a bombshell on NBA history but also brought hope to the Chicago Bulls for the remainder of the season. Australian fans are undoubtedly proud of this young man, who is writing new chapters for kangaroo country basketball in the world’s premier league.