Former OKC Thunder Records Rare Triple-Double Performance

Josh Giddey recorded a near quadruple-double as part of the Chicago Bulls against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) looks to pass against Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Amidst the Oklahoma City Thunder's grapple on the Western Conference, Josh Giddey's rebound season as part of the Chicago Bulls might be overlooked by Oklahoma City Thunder faithful.

Since the guard was traded for Alex Caruso in the offseason, he's found a more comfortable role within Chicago's system with averages of 14 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game on 46.6% shooting from the field.

This includes a dominant performance in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, putting up a near quadruple-double of 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists and eight steals. It was a brilliant game — and a stat line never before seen in history.

With the offense flowing through him, Giddey's game has largely flourished. In the last 10 games he's averaging roughly a triple-double of 22.2 points, 10 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game — finding a stride he never could in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder is clearly fine without Giddey, even if it looks like it was a bad loss on the surface. Caruso certainly hasn't been quite what it expected offensively, but his production on the defensive end has been invaluable. Plus, paying him the contract that he might expect in free agency could've given it trouble.

Oklahoma City would still probably be the favorite to make it out of the West with or without Giddey, but his role would've been largely diminished. Caruso is much more a plug-and-play weapon, which is more of a seamless fit alongside the rest of the roster.

The fact is, Giddey never would've fit the vision that the Thunder is building He needs to be a primary ball handler to find success, but getting that opportunity over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and more would've been impossible. Being on a team that lends itself to his skill set was the best outcome for both parties.

There's no doubt Giddey will find success in his career, and it'll likely be with Chicago. It's a match that makes sense, but is also a place that he can develop his game without any serious pressure placed on him.

It's not hard to foresee more performances like this from Giddey down the road.

•

NBA Hall of Famer Praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

•

Impressive Bench Performance Leads OKC Thunder Past Sacramento

•

OKC Thunder Match Franchise Best Win Total

•

Who is OKC Thunder’s ‘Biggest Flight Risk’ This Summer?

•

OKC Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings Injury Report