Josh Giddey continues to rewrite the record books, with the Australian putting up a career-high 19 assists as the Chicago Bulls fell short of a remarkable comeback on Friday AEDT.
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It represents the most assists by an Australian in the NBA. Giddey and Ben Simmons previously held the record at 17.
A visibly frustrated Giddey otherwise had a tough night from a shooting perspective, struggling to get his shots to fall early and finishing the game 4-for-11 from the field with nine points, six rebounds and five turnovers.
But even on a shaky shooting night, Giddey found a way to impact the game and help lead the Bulls on a frantic comeback as Chicago rallied from as many as 29 points down in the third quarter to lose 115-110 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Giddey had 12 assists in the first half alone, the most by a Bulls player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98).
While the Bulls threatened to steal the game late, they couldn’t overcome a huge performance from Cavaliers guard James Harden who had his best showing since being traded to Cleveland mid-season.
Harden, playing without backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell, had 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Evan Mobley chipped in with 26 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland.
Tre Jones led the way for the Bulls with 20 points, while fellow Australian Lachlan Olbrich was a coach’s decision DNP in the loss.
MOST NBA ASSISTS IN A SINGLE MATCH
30 – Scott Skiles (Orlando Magic) in 155-116 win vs. Denver Nuggets on Dec. 30, 1990
28 – John Stockton (Utah Jazz) in 124-102 win vs. San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 15, 1991
27 – John Stockton (Utah Jazz) in 115-107 loss at New York Knicks on Dec. 19, 1989
26 – John Stockton (Utah Jazz) in 128-123 loss vs. Portland Trail Blazers on April 14, 1988
25 – Rajon Rondo (New Orleans Pelicans) in 128-113 win vs. Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 27, 2017
25 – Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) in 136-133 win vs. Utah Jazz on Feb. 8, 1996
25 – Kevin Johnson (Phoenix Suns) in 107-95 win vs. San Antonio Spurs on April 6, 1994
25 – Nate McMillan (Seattle SuperSonics) in 124-112 win vs. LA Clippers on Feb. 23, 1987
25 – Isiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons) in 124-119 win vs. Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 13, 1985
Elsewhere, Luka Doncic scored a season-high 60 points in Los Angeles Lakers’ 134-126 victory over the Miami Heat, putting on a shotmaking masterclass that left the fans in Miami chanting “M-V-P”.
The 27-year-old Slovenian guard shot 18 of 30 from the field with 15 of 19 on free throws, helping the Lakers overcome a 15-point deficit.
It’s the first 60-point game for a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant achieved the feat in his final NBA game in April 2016.
Meanwhile, superstar LeBron James tied the NBA record for most regular-season games played as his Lakers took on the Heat.
James took the court for his 1,611th regular-season game, equalling Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record, and can break the mark when the Lakers visit Orlando on Saturday.
James, playing his unprecedented 23rd season, already holds a host of NBA records, including points scored, field goals made and field goals attempted.
His latest milestone comes in a return to Miami, where he played for four seasons and won the first two of his four NBA titles.
The 41-year-old is coming off a 30-point performance on spectacular 13-of-14 shooting in the Lakers’ win at Houston on Wednesday.
The Lakers have won seven straight games to surge from sixth to third in the Western Conference.
— with AFP and New York Post
Originally published as Josh Giddey wipes Ben Simmons from history in incredible NBA feat
