Aussies Abroad: Giddey confrontation leads to fan ejection

AAP.

A frustrated Josh Giddey has fallen achingly short of another triple-double, with the Australian star getting into an altercation with a courtside fan during Chicago's 123-116 loss to Charlotte.

With 1:16 left on the clock and the Bulls trailing 119-112, a sunglass-wearing courtside supporter got under Giddey’s skin prior to a Chicago in-bound play. The fan taunted the Boomers guard and made obscene gestures, prompting Giddey to march down the court and confront him. A referee stepped in before security arrived and removed the spectator to loud jeers from the Spectrum Centre crowd.

"He just said something I didn't like and I went over to him – that was it," Giddey said after the match. "Security took him out and that was the end of it."

Giddey appeared on track for his fifth triple-double of the season but fell just short. He finished with 25 points—matching Coby White as Chicago’s top scorers—and 11 rebounds, but ended with nine assists as the Bulls slumped to their third loss in four games.

Superstar centre Nikola Vucevic, still battling knee soreness, was limited to 13 points but collected a game-high 14 rebounds. For Charlotte, Brandon Miller led all scorers with 27 points, including five three-pointers, in just his fifth game of the season. Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton each added 20-plus as the Hornets snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Chicago briefly recovered from a halftime deficit to lead 94-93 entering the final quarter, but Charlotte surged again, with Bridges scoring nine points during a 12-4 run. The game marked the final NBA Cup group fixture for both sides, though each had already been eliminated from the tournament.