Australian basketball star Josh Giddey experienced a night of frustration as he came achingly close to another triple-double performance while dealing with a disruptive courtside fan during the Chicago Bulls' 123-116 defeat against the Charlotte Hornets.
Heated Exchange Mars Close Contest
With just 1:16 remaining on the clock and the Bulls trailing by seven points on the road, the game took an unexpected turn when a male supporter wearing sunglasses began taunting Giddey during a Chicago in-bound play. The fan shouted at the Boomers star while dancing and making rude gestures with his finger.
Giddey marched directly toward his agitator, forcing the referee to intervene between the two men before security personnel finally arrived to remove the offender from the Spectrum Centre. The ejection was met with jeers from the surrounding crowd.
"He just said something I didn't like and I went over to him — that was it," Giddey stated plainly during his post-match comments. "Security took him out and that was the end of it."
Near-Miss Triple-Double Performance
The point guard appeared destined to secure his fifth triple-double of the season but ultimately fell just short in the Friday night clash. Giddey finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, matching teammate Coby White as the Bulls' top scorer, but narrowly missed the mark with nine assists.
The loss marked Chicago's third defeat in their past four games, compounding the frustration for the Australian international. Bulls centre Nikola Vucevic, who has been managing knee soreness, contributed 13 points while grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds.
Hornets Snap Losing Streak
Charlotte found their winning form behind an impressive performance from Brandon Miller, who scored 27 points including five three-pointers in just his fifth game of the season. Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton both added 20-plus points as the Hornets snapped a seven-game losing streak.
After holding a five-point advantage at halftime, the Bulls briefly regrouped to lead 94-93 heading into the final quarter. However, the home team surged ahead with Bridges scoring nine points during a decisive 12-4 Hornets run.
The match represented the final NBA Cup group game for both teams, though both had already been eliminated from tournament contention prior to tip-off.
Australian Contingent Across the League
In other NBA action featuring Australian players, Dyson Daniels returned to his ball-stealing best as the Atlanta Hawks overwhelmed Cleveland 130-123, ending the Cavaliers' quarter-final ambitions. The Boomers guard, nicknamed "The Great Barrier Thief," recorded three steals along with nine assists and eight rebounds after having his steal streak stopped at 70 consecutive games during Atlanta's recent upset loss to Washington.
Despite the defeat, Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 42 points — his sixth game scoring at least 30 points in his last eight outings and the second-highest point total of his season.
Elsewhere in the league, Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 37 points as New York defeated Milwaukee 118-109, while Indiana dominated Washington 119-86. Desmond Bane's 37 points and two crucial offensive rebounds helped Orlando overcome Detroit 112-109 to win their NBA Cup group, and Brooklyn fell to 0-9 at home with a 115-103 loss to Philadelphia.
