Not so Giddey: NBA fan ejected after stoush with Aussie
Melissa Woods |
A frustrated Josh Giddey has fallen achingly short of another triple-double, with the Australian star getting into an altercation with a courtside fan during Chicago’s 123-116 loss to Charlotte.
With 1:16 left on the clock and the Bulls trailing by seven points on the road, a sunglass-wearing male supporter got under the skin of Giddey prior to a Chicago in-bound play.
The fan called out, taunting the Boomers gun, as he danced and “flipped the bird”.
Giddey marched down the court to confront his agitator, with the referee getting between the two men before security finally arrived and removed the offender to the jeers of the Spectrum Centre crowd.
“He just said something I didn’t like and I went over to him – that was it,” Giddey said after the match.
“Security took him out and that was the end of it.”
The point guard appeared on target to bag his fifth triple-double haul of the season but didn’t get the opportunities he needed in the Friday night clash.
Giddey finished with 25 points, matching Coby White as the Bulls’ top-scorers, and 11 rebounds, but just missed the mark with nine assists as his side sank to their third loss in the past four games.
Superstar Bulls centre Nikola Vucevic, who has been battling knee soreness, was limited to 13 points although he did grab a game-high 14 boards.
Playing just his fifth game of season, Hornets guard Brandon Miller led the scoring with 27 points, including five three-pointers.
Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton both contributed 20-plus as Charlotte snapped a seven-game losing streak.
They held a five-point lead at halftime and while the Bulls regrouped to lead 94-93 heading into the final term, the home side kicked away with Bridges scoring nine points as part of a 12-4 Hornets run.
It was the final NBA Cup group game for both teams, although they had already been eliminated from the tournament prior to the match.
Dyson Daniels returned to his ball-stealing best as Atlanta swamped Cleveland 130-123 to end their quarter-final ambitions.
The Boomers guard’s steal streak was stopped at 70 consecutive games in the Hawks’ recent upset loss to Washington.
But “The Great Barrier Thief” was back in touch with three steals as well as nine assists and eight rebounds as the Hawks overhauled a two-point halftime deficit.
Despite the loss Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 42 points – his sixth game out of the last eight scoring at least 30 points and the second-highest point total of the season.
Elsewhere, Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 37 points as New York downed Milwaukee 118-109, while Indiana smashed the Wizards 119-86.
Desmond Bane scored 37 points and grabbed two crucial offensive rebounds as Orlando overcame Detroit 112-109 to win their NBA Cup group and Brooklyn fell to 0-9 at home with a 115-103 defeat by Philadelphia.
AAP
