Undermanned Bulls slam their way to second straight win, beating Magic
Josh Giddey’s LinkedIn page just expanded on Friday.
Play-maker, rebounder, improved shooter … each have been long on display for everyone to see. However, go ahead and add motivational speaker/assistant coach to the mix.
That’s what the Bulls point guard was up to throughout the 121-114 win over the Magic, doing his best to talk to teammates on the bench and during timeouts, with Giddey sidelined for at least 10 more days before his strained left hamstring was re-evaluated.
Both Giddey and Coby White were injured in last Monday’s blowout loss to Minnesota, and with the starting backcourt now in the training room most days, Giddey has no problem moonlighting as he goes through the rehabilitation process.
Made easier with the Bulls (17-17) now 2-0 without the duo.
“No one really likes sitting and watching,” Giddey said. “I mean I don’t like being injured. But I guess it gives you perspective on things. You get to see things you usually don’t see compared to when you’re out there on the court playing. For me, I can work on getting stronger in the gym. You never want to be hurt, but there are some blessings you can find in it. Instead of being upset and sad about it, you can find ways to impact the team, be vocal in huddles, talking to guys, seeing a game through a different lens. That’s one of the ways I’m trying to approach it.”
Is it adding value to the product?
It definitely doesn’t seem to be hurting it.
With 8:48 left and the game tied at 100-100 in a timeout, there was Giddey, pulling guys aside before coach Billy Donovan gathered the troops for further instruction.
Whatever was said by either worked, as the Bulls went on a 15-10 run over the next six-plus minutes. Paolo Banchero cut it to a three-point game with 1:45 left, but Tre Jones hit a huge 16-footer with 41.9 seconds left to stretch the lead back to five.
Former Bull Wendell Carter Jr. hit two free throws with 27.9 left, leading to another Bulls timeout, and Giddey nervously chewing on his fingernails.
No problem, as Matas Buzelis made two free throws and Isaac Okoro iced the game with a last second dunk.
No wonder Giddey can’t wait to get back.
“The symptoms go away and you feel like you can do everything, and that’s when you’re at risk of restraining it,” Giddey added. “Just being careful, being safe, but doing what it takes to get back as soon as possible.”
Thankfully he has some teammates holding down the fort as Buzelis scored 21 with a career-high seven assists and Kevin Huerter had 20 off the bench.
The highlight of the night, however, came with 7:30 remaining in the second quarter, as Buzelis picked up a loose ball in the open floor with only Magic guard Jalen Suggs between him and the rim. Suggs, who was both Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball in his high school days in Minneapolis, is no slouch in the athletic department, and has an elevator that goes to the 20th floor. The problem was that Buzelis resides on the penthouse floor.
Suggs went up, Buzelis went up higher, cocked his right arm back and delivered the posterizing dunk, as Suggs back peddled in defeat.
“I don’t know, I just did it,” Buzelis said of his slam.
A dunk that even impressed Donovan. Well, as much as a slam can impress the coach.
“The dunk was phenomenal, it was unbelievable, but it was only worth two points,” Donovan said. “To be the seven assists, the rebounding, that was so much more valuable to our team. I loved watching it for a second, but at the end of the day those don’t happen every single night. That’s just his athletic ability and talent. It’s the other things he’s doing that’s impacting winning.”