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Josh Giddey has become the youngest Australian to hit the NBA court, but has been unable to prevent Oklahoma City Thunder from falling to a season-opening 107-86 defeat to compatriot Joe Ingles’s Utah Jazz.
Key points:
- Josh Giddey beat Dante Exum’s record as the youngest Australian to debut in the NBA by 98 days
- Giddey also became the third Australian player to start on debut
- Fellow Boomer Jock Landale began his the Spurs stint in a win over Magic, while Matisse Thybulle saw 27 minutes on court as the 76ers win beat the Pelicans
At 19 years and 10 days, Giddey started his first regular-season appearance in the back-court alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he turned heads at times with a mature performance.
The number-six draft pick settled his nerves by opening his scoring account with an early runner off the glass and finished with four points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes on the court.
Ingles, who mentored Giddey from afar during the teenager’s NBL Rookie-of-the-Year season with the Adelaide 36ers, came off the bench for Utah and knocked down four three-pointers from seven attempts.
Ingles tallied 14 points behind Bojan Bogdanovic (22) and Jordan Clarkson (18) for the Jazz.
Melbourne-raised Giddey beat Dante Exum’s previous mark by 98 days as the youngest Australian to debut in the NBA.
He also became the third Australian player to start on debut, following in the footsteps of Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee 2005) and Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 2017).
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Fellow Boomer Jock Landale began his San Antonio Spurs stint with a four-minute appearance off the bench in a 123-97 win over the Orlando Magic, while national teammate Matisse Thybulle saw 27 minutes on court as the Philadelphia 76ers put the Ben Simmons saga to one side with a 117-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Simmons was suspended for one game after being sent home from practice for “conduct detrimental to the team”.
It was the latest development in a messy situation that has seen the former number-one draft pick attempt to force a trade away from the 76ers, despite having four years left to run on his contract.
Furkan Korkmaz, who hit four three-pointers in the fourth period, and Joel Embiid both scored 22 points for Philadelphia.
Thybulle snagged four steals, taking him past 200 for his career, and scored two points.
Elsewhere, LaMelo Ball hit seven three-pointers to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 123-122 win over the Indiana Pacers, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
The former NBL Rookie of the Year scored 12 points in a 24-0 third-period run as the Hornets fought their way back into the contest after falling to an early deficit.
Julius Randle (35 points) and Evan Fournier (32) starred for the New York Knicks in their 138-134 double-overtime win over the Boston Celtics, who had Jaylen Brown score a career-high 46 points after overcoming a bout of COVID-19.
Fournier scored the go-ahead three-pointer in the second overtime period against his former team.
AAP
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