Josh Giddey can practically do it all right now.
Following on from his season-high 25-point performance in OKC’s shock dominance of Boston, Giddey stunned with one of the passes of the season against Orlando on Thursday (AEDT).
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The Aussie early in the second quarter threw a spearing NFL quarterback-like pass to Kenrich Williams, who was under the hoop but fell out of bounds and quickly kicked out to Lu Dort for a three-pointer in an epic sequence.
“Oh Giddey, just rifled it like a quarterback!” Thunder commentator Chris Fisher exclaimed.
“This is going to make (NFL quarterback legend) Joe Montana really pleased if he saw this replay. Look at that pass on a rope to Kenrich Williams, (who) set it up for Dort and he finished it off.
“Just so much had to go right for that ball to end up a three-point shot.
“Giddey, of course, makes it look easy – he’s been making spectacular passes like that over the last year plus.
“But that one is up there, that was 85 feet.”
Fellow commentator Michael Cage added: “There were a lot of really great things about the play. First of all, he made a great pass, right in the pocket.
“Kennrich had to control and not go out of bounds with the basketball, and somehow threw it right to Lu Dort, who was in the right spot to receive it.”
Despite the dazzling play and Giddey earning more plaudits for his improved three-point shot – making a pair from deep in the first half – and the Thunder coming off their biggest win for the season over the Celtics – they fell to Orlando 115-126 to slide to 16-22 overall.
Giddey added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes.
Elsewhere, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 33 for OKC, while Paolo Banchero (25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists), Terrence Ross (18 points) and Wendell Carter Jr. (13 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks) led the way for the Magic.
The Magic snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 14-24.
Originally published as ‘My goodness’: Josh Giddey’s absurd 85-foot quarterback pass sends NBA into meltdown
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