Top Performers: Giddey Repeats History in Nailbiting Defeat to Bulls

DeMar DeRozan's pair of free throws went in, and the rally cry from the Thunder was kaput – falling to the Chicago Bulls 106-101.

The Thunder led the game wire-to-wire in the first half of play.

Despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence, the Chicago Bulls had to muster up a 38-point effort from Derozan and a 31-point, 15-rebound recording from Nikola Vucevic.

Oklahoma City posted a strong stand in their defeat, living around the basket for 40 points in the paint while compiling a 22-of-30 output from the charity stripe – good for their most attempts of the calendar year.

Here were the top performers from Saturday’s contest:

Josh Giddey

Three quarters into play, Josh Giddey was sitting on a franchise accolade: a stat line of nine points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. In the triple nine club, which includes seven members, none have surfaced from a Thunder jersey.

That club remained at seven the following Saturday.

Instead, the Aussie reentered the record books, just in a different category – triple-doubles.

Following a 33 minute run, Giddey trotted out his second-career triple-double, etching out a trifecta of 11 points, 12 points, and 10 rebounds on a 4-of-10 shooting clip. In the rookie’s play, his passing ability was on full display, gunning out multiple cross-court passes, including a one-handed baseball-esque pitch over his defender.

Giddey has continued to stuff the stat sheets with little afterthought through 50 games – that’s no different as the primary ball-handler.

Lu Dort

Lu Dort netted himself 15 points in his back-to-back opener on Friday, but a mere 6-of-17 shot chart left more to be desired. He loaded his plate in the Windy City.

In a team-high 38 minutes, the Montreal native took the offensive stage front-and-center, headlining the roster with 31 points. As for his other stats, Dort kept on the quieter side with two rebounds, an assist, and one steal.

Dort’s shot-making ability has progressed at rates previously unheard of based upon his rookie scouting report. In the 22-year-old’s tenure, he stuck to the three-point line for five of his eight makes, dropping a 5-of-12 run in the process. To top this, he added a second dynamic to play as he used his burly frame on penetrations to accrue 14 foul shots on the night, canning 10.

The young guard's three-level play has been apparent all season, but irregularity in his production has made him a wild card in most matchups. He ended up being the X-factor against the Bulls.

Isaiah Roby

After a month-long hiatus from NBA matchups, Isaiah Roby rose to the occasion in Mark Daigneault’s group of starters.

In the small-ball center’s 24 minutes of play, he stirred up stats on both ends – finishing the game with seven points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.

With the Oklahoma City Blue, Roby has become a top option in the pick-and-pop game riding a clean 50% clip on 3s. Paired alongside Giddey, Roby took his popping ability to the next level, getting open for a flurry of looks – ultimately drilling 1-of-3 triples. Additionally, he utilized his small 6-foot-8 frame to blaze by Vucevic off of screens in the high-ball screen.

Roby’s Achilles heel of an inside-out center presented itself with Vucevic Friday, leading to a nightmarish third quarter of defending. However, the 22-year-old showed sufficient effort on both sides to net an opportunity on Monday.

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