Giddey denies Daniels dunk, gets ‘bragging rights’ in Aussie NBA clash

Josh Giddey got the last laugh in his clash against Dyson Daniels, the man who has leapfrogged him in the Aussie NBA pecking order.

Josh Giddey blocks Dyson Daniels' dunk attempt.

In the second meeting between juxtaposed Australian guards Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels on Saturday, it was Giddey and Bulls who got the better of Daniels’ Hawks.

After rallying to beat Atlanta in their first meeting this season in early November, Chicago (7-10) trumped Atlanta (7-10) by 14 points at the United Center as it continues to jostle for positioning in a weak Eastern Conference.

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Giddey and Daniels came face-to-face in two physical plays, including a bump on the way to a dunk, and later a blocked alley-oop attempt.

The pair came shoulder-to-shoulder in a physical first-quarter play, as Giddey finished a Bulls fast-break with a dunk after laying a small bump on Daniels on the way through.

Evidently playing with more energy, Giddey scored six points and added three assists to cap the first period — including a couple of fruitful drives into the lane.

“That’s what I’d like to see more of from Josh Giddey — put the ball on the floor and use that 6’8 frame to get to the rim,” Bulls broadcast analyst Stacey King said.

“He’s doing it tonight and it’s paying off for the Bulls in the early going.”

However, Giddey also committed two first-quarter fouls.

Daniels, meanwhile, went 0-4 in the early going, having been tasked with guarding Chicago star Zach LaVine for the evening.

Giddey remained aggressive and facilitative in the second quarter, tallying five assists with his six points on 3-4 shooting as Chicago took a seven-point lead into half-time.

Meanwhile, Daniels notched his first steal of the night to extend his lead atop the league’s steal charts, but his struggles from the field remained — he finished the half 1-7 from the field for two points with four rebounds.

Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels go head to head. Photo: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images/AFP.

In the third quarter, Daniels went upstairs for an alley-oop — only to have it blocked away by Giddey.

The play initially saw Giddey commit a foul, but after a Billy Donovan coach’s challenge, it was overturned and judged a clean play.

“Giddey came over on his old buddy Dyson Daniels!” exclaimed caller Adam Amin. “Bragging rights on his Boomer buddy.”

Chicago’s facilitator entered the fourth quarter with 14 points on an incredibly efficient 6-7 from the field, as well as seven assists and six rebounds.

Daniels notched two more steals in the third quarter, taking his game tally to three, but his offensive troubles persisted — 1-11 for two points in the third period.

Daniels hit a pair of three-pointers in the final term to boost his offensive showing — eight points on 3-13 shooting — and to give the Hawks a sniff, trailing by 13.

But it was too little, too late as Chicago claimed a 136-122 victory — and its first-ever NBA Cup win.

Giddey indisputably got the better of Daniels on Saturday, finishing with 18 points on 8-10 shooting, eight assists, six rebounds and two blocks — including that big one on his fellow countryman — as well as an overall plus-19.

Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels went toe-to-toe for the second of four times this season.

Daniels, while he managed another four (!) steals, shot 3-14 for just eight points, with five rebounds and three assists. He was a minus-six.

“He (Giddey) was in the game in the fourth quarter,” King noted post-game, alluding to the fact that Donovan had lately been sitting Giddey in the closing stages of games.

“Way to go, Josh. Good day, mate!”

After the game, Giddey was asked about that block.

“I thought I fouled him, but I saw it on the big screen and I realised it was clean,” he told Chicago Sports Network.

“It was good to get a block on the stat sheet.”

The second coming-together of Giddey and Daniels this season offered a reminder of the Aussies’ contrasted NBA trajectories.

Giddey, while he has flashed trademark half-court and transition playmaking — and won the day against Daniels this time — remains a weak-link defensively and turnover-prone.

“Is he going to be an elite defender in the NBA? Probably not,” Chicago head coach Billy Donovan said of the 6’8 ball-handler.

“He can master coverage, he can master footwork, he can master, ‘I’m 6-foot-8, I don’t need to close all the way out, I need to figure out my foot speed, I don’t need to get blown by.’

“He has size and IQ, (but) I do think he’s got to get way more physical in my opinion.”

Of Giddey’s footwork in particular, Donovan said: “No, it’s got to be much better.”

In the 16 Bulls games played before Saturday, Giddey averaged a per-game plus-minus of -7.06. He has finished in plus territory just seven times thus far.

“That, for me, is the most important thing,” Giddey said.

“Plus-minus is not always accurate, but it is a good representation of the impact a player has while he’s on the floor. So, I’ve always wanted to keep that in the plus.

“As you guys know I’m very hard on myself, and I think that’s a great way to dictate your impact on the game.”

Giddey, whose value appears to be decreasing, will become a restricted free agent at season’s end after he and the Bulls were unable to come to terms on a contract extension in the pre-season.

On the other side of the coin, Daniels has improved his game in leaps and bounds in season 2024-25 — emerging as not only a Most Improved Player candidate but a Defensive Player of the Year chance.

And while his specialty is defence, the third-year guard has also added to his offensive package to supplement superstar Trae Young in a new-look Atlanta backcourt.

In 14 games this season, Daniels has averaged 14.6 points per game — up from 5.8 in his final season with New Orleans — 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 steals — the best clip in the NBA by a fair margin — and 1.0 blocks.

The 22-year-old, whose impressive 44 steals for the season are nine clear of the next-best Tari Eason, has embraced his teammate’s new nickname for him.

“I like it. Great Barrier Thief. That’s not a bad one,” Daniels said when asked about the new moniker, given to him by Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr.

“It’s better than the one he had for me. He (Nance) used to call me ‘Dys Spice’ — but Great Barrier Thief, I’m happy with it.”

Three-point shooting remains the key improvement point for Daniels — managing a measly 28.8 per cent clip for the season — but his two-way fit alongside Young has inspired renewed confidence in Atlanta.

Originally published as Giddey denies Daniels dunk, gets ‘bragging rights’ in Aussie NBA clash