Josh Giddey dishes 14 assists against the Dallas Mavericks
Oklahoma City rookie Josh Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double on Sunday night.
Giddey had 17 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds for his first triple-double in the Thunder’s 95-86 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-foot-8 guard accomplished the feat at 19 years, 2 months, 23 days, beating Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, who had a triple-double at 19 years, 10 months, 17 days.
Giddey, the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft from Australia, was back in the lineup after missing three games while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He shot 7 for 16 from the field and 3 for 5 from long distance against Dallas.
“It’s cool, as I said earlier in the year. The individual stats are good, you enjoy it for the night,” Giddey said “But a win is always better than individual stats. If I have zero-zero-zero and we win, it’s always better than if I have a triple-double and lose.”
| PLAYER | TEAM | DATE | AGE |
| Josh Giddey | Oklahoma City | Jan. 2, 2022 | 19 years, 84 days |
| LaMelo Ball | Charlotte | Jan. 9, 2021 | 19 years, 140 days |
| Markelle Fultz | Philadelphia | April 11, 2018 | 19 years, 317 days |
| Luka Doncic* | Dallas | Jan. 21, 2019 | 19 years, 327 days |
| Lonzo Ball | Los Angeles Lakers | Nov. 11, 2017 | 20 years, 15 days |
| LeBron James | Cleveland | Jan. 19, 2005 | 20 years, 20 days |
* Doncic owns six of the 11 youngest triple-doubles in NBA history
Giddey is averaging 30.0 minutes, 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists for the Thunder, who sit just two games out of the final Play-In Tournament spot. In his most recent game before undergoing and returning Health & Safety Protocols, Giddey logged the first double-double in 50 years that did not include points (zero points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who had 107 triple-doubles during his playing career, was impressed by Giddey’s performance.
“He’s unselfish. As a 19-year old, he understands how to play the game,” Kidd said. “He’s comfortable with the ball. His teammates all know that if he has it, they’re gonna cut, because there’s a chance that they can get it. He’s comfortable shooting the 3. He has the total package. At 19, it’s just a matter of time of understanding how teams are going to play him. He’s as good as advertised.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
