How an Aussie guard reignited Chicago with back-to-back triple-doubles — the first Bull to do it since Michael Jordan.
The United Center was still buzzing when the scoreboard finally went dark. Josh Giddey — the 23-year-old from Melbourne — had just stacked a second straight triple-double, dragging Chicago back from the brink and into a 113-111 win. On nights like this, the building feels like a time machine. The last Bull to post back-to-back triple-doubles? Michael Jordan, 1989 — a stat line now echoed by an Australian playmaker in red and black. News.com.au captured the “first since MJ” milestone, while the game recap etched the details: 29 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, and a dart to the corner with 3.2 seconds left that became the winning three. AP’s recap on ESPN has the play-by-play.
The moment that flipped the night
With Chicago down 24, the arena had that heavy quiet fans know too well. Then Giddey started tilting the floor: hit-ahead passes before defenders could set, rebounds ripped in traffic, drives that collapsed the paint. It wasn’t flashy for the sake of it — it was connective, an orchestrator’s version of dominance. When the ball left his hands toward Nikola Vučević in the corner, the outcome felt inevitable. Net. Chaos. Catharsis. ABC News (Australia) broke down the comeback and the closing sequence.
Triple-double, modernised
The triple-double used to be a rarity reserved for outliers; in 2025, it’s a language for how the best guards control a game. Giddey’s version isn’t stat-chasing — it’s tempo-setting. He rebounds to run, passes to loosen the defense, and scores when the defense forgets he can. It’s also the product of an athlete built for volume: conditioning to play long minutes, mobility work to stay fresh on back-to-backs, and the film-room cognition that turns small windows into easy points. Nights like this make the box score feel like a biography.
From the NBL to the North Side
Giddey’s polish didn’t appear overnight. Before Chicago, he learned the pro rhythm in the NBL with the Adelaide 36ers and sharpened fundamentals at the NBA Global Academy — a path that taught him how to be ready before the moment arrives. In Chicago, the fit clicked and the belief followed. The franchise doubled down in September with a long-term commitment — Reuters reported a four-year, $100M extension — and Giddey has responded by playing like the engine of a team rediscovering its identity.
Why this resonates in Australia — and everywhere else
For Australian fans, these triple-double nights are more than highlights; they’re validation of a talent pipeline that now stretches from suburban gyms to the NBA’s brightest stages. Globally, they’re a reminder that basketball is borderless — that IQ, feel, and stamina can travel, translate, and sometimes even brush against mythology. If your first memory of Bulls greatness starts with 23, it’s fitting that a No. 3-category masterpiece is what’s bringing the building to its feet again.
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Triple-Double Tracker
data-pts, data-reb, and data-ast on each card. Bars will auto-scale per stat to the highest value displayed.More for Global Sports Fans
If you enjoy stories that bridge continents through sport, explore our feature on American Football Day 2025 and the UK’s NFL takeover. Just as Giddey’s journey shows basketball’s global reach, this piece uncovers how gridiron is winning hearts across the Atlantic.
The closing image
The buzzer fades. The crowd lingers. Giddey signs a few jerseys, offers a grin that looks equal parts relief and resolve, and disappears down the tunnel. Tomorrow, the legs might ache. The film will reveal new angles. But the line will stand: triple-double, again. And in Chicago, that combination of numbers carries a history that now has an Australian chapter.
