sports

Josh Giddey youngest with two straight triple-doubles as Thunder drop Knicks at Madison Square Garden

[ad_1]

NEW YORK — Josh Giddey and Tre Mann, Oklahoma City’s two first-round picks from the 2021 NBA draft were looking forward to playing at Madison Square Garden. They certainly won’t forget the career nights they enjoyed.

Giddey had a triple-double with a career-high 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Mann scored a career-high 30 points, and Oklahoma City rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half, beating the New York Knicks 127-123 in overtime on Monday night.

Giddey, a 19-year-old from Australia, shot 11 for 22 from the field and hit three 3-pointers for the Thunder, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

“This was the place I was most excited when I got drafted to come in to play,” said Giddey, who was the sixth overall pick in July’s draft. “You hear so many things, so many stories about the Garden, and I had circled it on my calendar for a long time.”

Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history with back-to-back triple-doubles. He had 11 points, 10 assists and 12 rebounds in a losing effort at Chicago on Saturday.

“It was everything I expected,” Giddey said of his first game at MSG. “The fans are awesome. They’re into the game; a packed house. It’s everything I’ve seen on TV, being told about.”

Giddey also became the first teenager in NBA history with a triple-double at MSG. He is the third player all-time with a triple-double in his MSG debut, joining Chuck Person and Magic Johnson.

“The style he is playing with is contagious,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I think he has a domino effect on the team with how he plays when he is in that state of mind. I thought he was in against Chicago and I thought he was in it again tonight.”

For New York, Julius Randle had a triple-double of 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for Knicks, who have lost nine of their last 11 games.

It marked the second game…

[ad_2]

Source : espn

Related Articles

Back to top button