Josh Giddey’s impressive season continued on Tuesday night.
There were still 8 minutes to go in the third quarter by the time Josh Giddey recorded a triple-double. The stat line officially put him at seven on the season, separating him from Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson for sole possession of second place in the NBA. Nikola Jokic is the only player who currently has more triple-doubles at 13.
His final tally on the night sat at 19 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds on 8-15 shooting from the field. To be sure, he played a part in the Bulls’ having to overcome an 18-point deficit, as he forked the ball over seven times. But the fact that he is still finishing with a positive plus-minus says it all, as does the ball finding his hands during the game’s biggest moment.
With the Bulls up just 120-119 with less than a minute to go, Giddey confidently called for the isolation on Trae Young. He forced the guard within 15 feet of the rim before spinning into the paint and dropping the floater over the All-Star. Giddey knew he had the size advantage on Young and made the most of it.
Giddey bully ball in crunchtime!@joshgiddey | @CHSN__ pic.twitter.com/Zpjk786NrB
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 24, 2025
Not only did the performance help secure the Chicago Bulls’ fourth straight victory, but it officially put Giddey among some elite company. According to Bulls PR (h/t K.C. Johnson), the guard is now just the sixth player in NBA history to record 25 triple-doubles by the age of 23. The other five players on the list are Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Ben Simmons.
In other words, aside from the complicated Simmons, Giddey has now accomplished something that only current or future Hall of Famers have done. Does that mean he’s destined to don the orange jacket? I don’t think anyone would go that far just yet. However, it does serve as a reminder of his incredibly unusual skill set and continued development.
Dec 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA;Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) dribbles the ball towards the basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Giddey is now averaging 20.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists over his 27 games played this season. He’s also shooting 47.9 percent from the field and a career-high 40.2 percent from long range.
As the Bulls creep closer to the .500 threshold, it’s hard not to think that Giddey could find himself in the All-Star conversation in the coming weeks. While it’s unlikely he earns a starting spot, one has to imagine he’s grabbed the attention of coaches (who vote on reserves) around the league. Heck, we all know he is moving up the scouting report!