The Chicago Bulls secured an astonishing victory over the Los Angeles Lakers after Josh Giddey scored a buzzer beaterfrom the opposite half of the court.
The Adelaide 36ers product and Australian international gave the rock an almighty heave as the buzzer sounded to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.
And the parochial home crowd at Chicago’s United Center went wild – none more so than Bulls great Stacey King in commentary.
‘Elizabeth, I’m coming for you baby,’ King screamed in reference to his wife and mother of their four children.
He then compared Giddey to LA great Magic Johnson before rattling off a bizarre series of Aussie references.
‘Magic Giddey. G’day mate. Somewhere in Australia, in Sydney, or Melbourne, Paul Hogan is up there, Crocodile Dundee.’
Giddey said the shot “felt pretty good” out of the hands as it sailed its way down court for the unlikely victory
Lakers legend LeBron James could only watch on in shock as the shot went in to rob them of the win
It was a dramatic turnaround after King called for Giddey to be benched after the Bulls lost a fifth-straight game just two months ago.
‘I’m just an armchair point guard but at some point you’ve got to say if guys aren’t ready to play and they don’t come out with the (right) energy, you’ve got to sit them,’ King said about Giddey and fellow point guard Billy Donovan.
‘You’ve got to sit them. You’ve got to hold them accountable.’
LeBron Jamesscored a last-second game winner win for the Lakers against the Pacers on Wednesday night.
But 24 hours later, Los Angeles was on the wrong end of an incredible ending in the NBA. With 12 seconds to go against the Bulls, the Lakers led 115-110.
Patrick Williams reduced the deficit with a three-pointer and then James immediately gifted Chicago possession with a terrible turnover.
Giddey made the steal and then Coby White scored another three-pointer to give Chicago the lead.
That gave the Lakers 6.1 seconds to turn the game around once more. Austin Reaves drove at the basket and scored a lay-up to put Los Angeles 117-116 ahead.
Josh Giddey scored a buzzer beater from the opposite half of the court to sink the Lakers
The Australian was mobbed by his teammates after securing the 119-117 win on Thursday
But there was still enough time for Giddey to score. LeBron was the nearest defender to the Bulls star as he shot from inside his own half.
The Australian was mobbed by his teammates as the Chicago bench emptied to celebrate the win.
While the half-court shot stole the show – and will dominate highlight reels for weeks – Giddey was anything but a one-trick pony in the victory.
He piled on 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists to secure a triple-double before putting the icing on the cake with his clutch shot to ensure victory.
If Chicago fans weren’t in love with the Aussie guard before, they are now.
‘That was the greatest half court shot of all time. Josh Giddey been hooping. He’s the best thing that happened to Chicago,’ one fan gushed on social media platform X.
‘Need to buy my Josh Giddey jersey yesterday, the boy can hoop,’ another impressed fan posted.
Giddey is mobbed by ecstatic teammates after draining the half-court triple to secure victory
It was the second win the Bulls had secured over the Lakers this week with Giddey instrumental in both
‘Ben Simmons needs to take notes on Josh Giddey,’ another posted in a dig at Giddey’s Aussie compatriot.
For Giddey, though, it was never in doubt.
‘It was a pretty special moment. As soon as it left my fingertips it felt good,’ he told reporters.
After a modest start to the NBA season, Giddey has significantly lifted since the All-Star break.
He is now averaging 22.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game while shooting an impressive 54.3 per cent from the field and 53.1 per cent from three-point range.
That includes recording a near-quadruple-double against the Lakers earlier this week, posting 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists, and 8 steals in a commanding 146-115 victory