Josh Giddey is blossoming before the eyes of the NBA world.
The Aussie led the OKC Thunder brilliantly in Monday’s road clash against the Brooklyn Nets (all times AEDT) with 26 points – both a season-high and team-high – to go with eight rebounds and seven assists midway through the fourth quarter.
It included Giddey making two tough drives to the hoop in the third – signaling a ‘too small’ gesture to Nets big man Nic Claxton after the first and converting an and-one play on the second.
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Mon, 16 Jan
Monday January 16th
It’s a bold move towards Claxton, who ranks first in the NBA in blocks (2.6 per game), while it came after Giddey and the big man got in during the period and exchanged words in a tense clash.
Giddey continued his hot form in the fourth, scoring seven-straight points for the Thunder to open the period to tie the scores – and bring up his season-high 26 points – two short of his career-high of 28.
“A sign of progress for a young player is consistency. Josh Giddey on the cusp of his 30th double-digit scoring night in his last 32 games,” Thunder sideline commentator Nick Gallo said of Giddey in the first half.
“He’s continuing to score within the floor of how the Thunder wants to play – out in transition and with physicality on hard drives like that one when he barrels into the rim.
“This is a guy who continues to work on his game. I talked to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about him, he said: ‘When you work hard and work on the right things, it will show. He’s really leaned into that effort on the inside in the practice facility and in the weight room.’
“That is just going to continue to progress for Josh – not even 21 years old yet and we’re continuing to see him take strides forward.”
‘Big Guy’ Giddey growing in confidence! | 00:29
It sparked a big Thunder run in the final stanza, leading the Nets 99-92 with seven minutes left.
Claxton put in his own strong performance with 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, and Seth Curry leads the Nets in scoring with 19 off the bench.
Giddey was set to face off with fellow Aussie Ben Simmons for the first time ever in the contest, however back soreness forced Simmons to be a late out for the game in a brutal blow for a Nets team trying to navigate through a stretch without Kevin Durant. due to an MCL injury.
Of course, Simmons missed all of last season – Giddey’s rookie campaign – during his trade standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to Brooklyn. He sat out the rest of the season due to back soreness that required surgery.
WHAT A PASS! Simmons stunning assists 01:37
Without Durant and now Simmons, the Nets are looking to bounce back from a loss to Boston Friday, but remain second in the East at 27-14.
OKC meanwhile is on a hot streak with four wins from its last five games to improve to 20-23 and soar in the West standings on the brink of the play-in tournament.
Giddey has been on a tear over that stretch and the weeks prior to that. Since December 1, he’s averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists and shot 50 percent from the field, 42 percent from downtown on 3.4 attempts and 94 percent from the line, per Thunder beat writer Derek Parker.
MORE TO COME
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