Josh Giddey became Australia's greatest single-game playmaker in NBA history on Thursday night at the United Center. The 23-year-old Melbourne guard recorded 19 assists in a 115-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
TLDR
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey tallied 19 assists against Cleveland on Thursday, breaking Ben Simmons' Australian record of 17. The 23-year-old Melbourne native finished with nine points, six rebounds and two blocks in a 115-110 loss. It was the most assists by a Bulls player since Ennis Whatley recorded 21 in February 1985.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The mark surpasses fellow Melburnian Ben Simmons, who recorded 17 assists for Philadelphia against Utah in January 2021, and stands two assists clear of any other Australian in league history.
A record in defeat
Giddey finished with nine points, six rebounds, one steal and two blocks in 38 minutes. His playmaking alone accounted for a minimum of 38 Bulls points through direct assists.
It was the most assists by a Chicago player since Ennis Whatley dished 21 against Golden State in February 1985. Only three Bulls players in franchise history have reached the 19-assist threshold.
Chicago trailed by 29 points in the third quarter. They cut the deficit to one in the closing minutes. It was not enough.
Everything was clicking. The guys were hitting shots. I was just trying to get them the ball in the right spots.
— Josh Giddey, postgame
James Harden led all scorers with 36 points for Cleveland. Evan Mobley added 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Triple-double trajectory
The 19-assist outing fits Giddey's recent form, as he has averaged 19.5 points, 11.8 assists and 11.2 rebounds across six March games, numbers that constitute a triple-double average.
He has recorded six triple-doubles and 24 double-doubles in 47 games this season, with his averages sitting at 17.7 points, 8.8 assists and 8.4 rebounds.
Only Jalen Johnson of Atlanta has more triple-doubles in 2025-26, though Johnson has appeared in 15 more games than Giddey this season.
Giddey is also chasing Michael Jordan's franchise record for triple-doubles in a single season. He needs two more to surpass it with 12 games remaining.
The Australian lineage
Australia has produced 13 players who have started NBA games. Giddey now holds the single-game assists record. Patty Mills holds the points record with 42 against Oklahoma City in January 2021. Andrew Bogut holds the blocks record with 10 against Portland in November 2015.
Simmons held the previous assists mark for five years. He set it during his third All-Star season with Philadelphia, before injuries derailed his career. He last played for Brooklyn in April 2025.
Giddey was drafted 6th overall by Oklahoma City in 2021 after a standout NBL Next Stars season with Adelaide. He was traded to Chicago in June 2024 for Alex Caruso and a protected first-round pick. The trade has not looked good for the Thunder.
The path from Melbourne
Giddey grew up in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and attended The Scots College before joining the NBA Global Academy in Canberra at 16. He spent one season with Adelaide in the NBL Next Stars program, averaging 10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games.
His passing vision drew comparisons to Jason Kidd during the draft process. Oklahoma City selected him one spot after Scottish guard Josh Green went to Dallas. The Thunder traded him after three seasons despite his averaging a triple-double in his final month with the team.
Chicago gave him what Oklahoma City would not: primary ball-handling duties and the freedom to orchestrate the offence. His assists have increased from 4.8 per game with the Thunder to 8.8 with the Bulls.
Playoff maths
The record cannot mask reality. Chicago sits 12th in the Eastern Conference at 28-41. They are eight wins behind Charlotte for the final play-in spot with 12 games remaining.
The Bulls have lost six of their past 10. Three of those losses came against teams below them in the standings.
Giddey is producing star-level numbers on a non-playoff team. Chicago owes him nothing in a contract year. He can become a restricted free agent in July.
League sources told ESPN this week that multiple Western Conference teams have expressed interest in Giddey as a trade target for next season.
Lakers roll on
Elsewhere on Thursday, Luka Doncic scored 60 points in Los Angeles' 134-126 win over Miami. LeBron James recorded his 113th career triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Lakers have now won eight consecutive games. They sit third in the Western Conference at 45-25.
In San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama hit a mid-range pull-up with 1.1 seconds remaining to beat Phoenix 101-100. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Spurs for the first time since 2019.
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