Rising Australian star Josh Giddey has joined the legendary Wilt Chamberlain as the one two NBA gamers to register triple-doubles of their first two matches at storied Madison Square Garden.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 factors and Giddey tallied 24 factors, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who shot a formidable 62.5 per cent from the sphere within the 145-135 victory on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
It was OKC’s fifth straight win at Madison Square Garden and you need to go all the way in which again to 1968 for the one different time a participant had triple-doubles of their first two visits to the well-known venue.
“Any time your name is within the company of (Chamberlain), one of the all-time greats, is special,” Giddey stated.
“But basketball is a team game, so if those things contribute to winning and helping my guys around me be better, then it makes it worth it.”
Lu Dort additionally had 24 factors for Oklahoma City.
Six Knicks gamers scored in double figures, led by Cam Reddish, who had a season-high 26 factors.
Oklahoma City set a season-high by scoring 43 factors within the second quarter, then duplicated it within the third.
In the Thunder’s final go to to MSG – within the 2022 NBA season – Giddey completed with 28 factors, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 127-123 additional time victory on February 14.
“We only come (to MSG) once (per season), so we’ve got to make the most of it,” Giddey stated.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia 76ers massive man Joel Embiid chalked up a career-high 59 factors within the 105-98 defeat of the Utah Jazz.
The Cameroonian centre beat his earlier private greatest (50) with 68 per cent taking pictures accuracy from the sphere to assist the Sixers erase a deficit that stretched to as many as 14 factors within the second quarter.
“I’ve never seen a more dominating performance when you combine defence and offence,” coach Doc Rivers stated of Embiid’s show.
Australian Matisse Thybulle once more performed prolonged minutes and got here up with 5 steals, one shy of his private greatest. The total Jazz outfit had solely three.
Australian Ben Simmons was a last-minute scratching from the Brooklyn Nets’ match towards the Los Angeles Lakers, the previous No.1 draft choose reporting left knee soreness on sport day.
The similar knee grievance compelled Simmons out of 4 consecutive video games earlier this month earlier than the 26-year-old made his return to the courtroom towards Dallas final week.
LeBron James spent a second straight sport on the sidelines with a left adductor pressure however the Los Angeles Lakers had little hassle overcoming the Brooklyn Nets 116-103.
Despite the very best efforts of Kevin Durant, who got here near recording an 18th profession triple-double, Brooklyn didn’t lead at any level of the sport.
Lakers massive man Anthony Davis recorded a double-double by halftime and completed with game-high numbers in factors (37) and rebounds (18).
