A first trip to Madison Square Garden was anything but daunting for Australian NBA sensation Josh Giddey, who continues to astound after notching a career-high 28-points in a history-making triple-double for the Oklahoma City Thunder in New York.
Giddey, 19 continues to make NBA history and now holds the record for the three youngest triple-doubles as he became the first teenager to achieve the feat against the Knicks.
In his first match at the famous venue, Giddey poured in a career-high 28 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had 12 assists in OKC’S 127-123 overtime victory.
“Obviously I had this game circled on my calendar coming to New York,” Giddey said after the game.
“(It’s the) most famous stadium in the world so I was looking forward to this game.
“This was the place coming into the draft I was most excited to play.
“To be here undermanned on the road with a young team and to win like we did in overtime, big win,”
Giddey, from Melbourne, became the youngest player in NBA history with a 25-point triple-double and the youngest player in NBA history with a triple-double in consecutive xjmtzywgames.
He had already broken a franchise record for double-doubles for a rookie at OKC and is now ringing alarm bells around the league for his stunning performances.
But the teenager said he was nothing without his teammates.
“My teammates make things really easy for me,” he said.
“They get in the right spots, they make shots. I get assists but if they’re not making the shots then it doesn’t look as good.”
“We are a young team but really excited where we are going.”
Giddey surpassed fellow NBL graduate LaMelo Ball’s previous record (aged 19 years, 140 days) as the youngest to achieve a triple-double and joined Luka Doncic as the only players in league history with multiple triple-doubles as teenagers.
It has been a remarkable rookie season for Giddey, who has claimed Western Conference Rookie of the Month honours three-straight times and has been selected in the All-Star Rising Stars game and Skills Challenge.
YOUNGEST NBA PLAYERS WITH A TRIPLE-DOUBLE1. Josh Giddey (19 years, 84 days) – 20222. Josh Giddey (19 years, 125 days) – 20223. Josh Giddey (19 years, 127 days) – 20224. LaMelo Ball (19 years, 140 days) – 20215. Markelle Fultz (19 years, 317 days) – 2018
YOUNGEST PLAYER WITH A TRIPLE-DOUBLE AGAINST THE KNICKS AT MSG:Josh Giddey (19 years, 127 days)Magic Johnson (20 years, 175 days)Luka Doncic (20 years, 259 days)
