Josh Giddey’s return to OKC ended in disappointment as the Thunder dominated the Bulls.
Josh Giddey returned to Oklahoma City on Monday night as the Chicago Bulls faced the Thunder. After spending his first three seasons with OKC, Giddey was traded to Chicago in the offseason. Despite his recent strong performances, he struggled in this matchup, finishing with just 15 points in a lopsided 145-117 defeat.
The Thunder overwhelmed the Bulls early, quickly building a lead of over 40 points. Chicago had no answers and eventually emptied its bench.
“We couldn’t make a shot (3-of-19 threes at half); they are the best defensive team in the league,” Giddey said via NBA.com. “They make it tough on you. We turned the ball over too much, myself included. We dug ourselves a hole and couldn’t find a way out of it. That’s the best team in the league for a reason. If we want to compete with teams like this, we have to be way better.”
Giddey wasn’t the only Bull who struggled. Coby White, who had been in great form, managed just seven points. Chicago has relied heavily on White and Giddey to carry the offense, and with a combined 22 points, the Bulls had little chance of winning.
While losing to an elite Thunder squad isn’t shocking, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was frustrated with his team’s effort.
“I was really disappointed, quite honestly,” Donovan said. “We could have played our best game and still lost, but I was disappointed. The things we talked about—taking care of the ball, dealing with their active defense—we didn’t execute. We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”
The Bulls had won nine of their last 11 games before back-to-back losses against Dallas and OKC. Now on a skid, they’ll look to bounce back at home against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.
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