Chicago fell short in a thriller with Utah despite Australian Josh Giddey’s triple-double. (AP PHOTO)
Australia’s Josh Giddey posted a triple-double on return from an ankle injury but couldn’t prevent Chicago suffering double-overtime heartbreak in their narrow defeat to Utah.
Giddey, who sat out two games with an ankle sprain, resumed on Monday (AEDT) and missed what would have been a go-ahead bucket in the final seconds of the fourth period.
It left scores tied and the game went into overtime before the Jazz prevailed 150-147 behind a match-high 47 points from Finnish big man Lauri Markkanen.
Keyonte George was a hero for Utah with 33 points and the late winning basket. (AP PHOTO)
Keyonte George added 33 points and nailed the game-winning three with 0.8 seconds left in the second overtime period.
Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic left marginally short an attempted buzzer-beater that would have sent the game into a third overtime period.
Giddey was enjoying a breakout campaign before his injury and picked up where he left off with his 21st career triple-double, including 26 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.
He also had two blocks, two steals and six turnovers in the Bulls’ fifth consecutive defeat.
Australian Dyson Daniels was instrumental in Atlanta’s narrow win over Phoenix. (AP PHOTO)
Giddey’s Boomers teammate Dyson Daniels went close to a triple-double for Atlanta, posting 11 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and three steals in the Hawks’ 124-122 win over Phoenix.
Atlanta posted a fifth straight victory and ended the Suns’ streak at five, erasing a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun their opponents despite being without injured All-Star guard Trae Young and centre Kristaps Porzingis.
Onyeka Okongwu (27 points), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (26) and Jalen Johnson (25) led the scoring for Atlanta, while Dillon Brooks had a game-high 34 points for Phoenix.
Royce O’Neale’s attempted winner from beyond half-court for the Suns hit the rim.
Elsewhere, Kevin Durant (35 points) and Alperen Sengun (30) lifted the Houston Rockets to a 117-113 overtime win over Orlando.
The Rockets (9-3) trailed by 11 points in the fourth period before mounting a comeback, and now sit third in the Western Conference.
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