Josh Giddey’s Buzzer-Beater Leads Bulls to Dramatic Win Over Lakers
In a thrilling conclusion to the game, Josh Giddey executed a remarkable half-court shot at the buzzer, sealing a 119-117 victory for the Chicago Bulls against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The final moments were nothing short of chaotic, featuring a flurry of scoring and a dramatic shift in momentum.
The excitement began with the Bulls trailing 115-110. With 12.6 seconds remaining, Patrick Williams stepped up and sank a crucial 3-pointer, narrowing the gap to just two points. The situation escalated when a careless inbound pass from LeBron James was intercepted by Giddey, who quickly transitioned the ball to Coby White. White then knocked down a 3-pointer, giving Chicago a one-point lead with only 6.1 seconds left on the clock.
After a timeout, the Lakers responded when Austin Reaves drove hard to the basket and scored a layup, putting Los Angeles back in front by one with just 3.3 seconds remaining. This set the stage for Giddey’s spectacular game-winning shot. After successfully inbounding the ball, Giddey received it back almost instantly and, without hesitation, launched a 3-pointer from just beyond the half-court line. As the ball swished through the net, he confidently held his shooting hand aloft, eliciting a roaring approval from the crowd at the United Center.
“As soon as it left my fingertips, it looked good,” Giddey remarked after the game. “That’s why I held my follow-through. I had a good feeling about it. It looked straight and felt right. It was truly a special night, and a fantastic comeback win. I’ll cherish this one for a long time.”
Giddey’s outstanding performance included a stellar stat line of 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, marking his fifth triple-double of the season. The Bulls had found themselves in a daunting position, trailing 91-75 at the start of the fourth quarter, but rallied aggressively, fueled by an impressive 11 three-pointers throughout the game.
“The odds were definitely not in our favor to win that game,” White acknowledged. “But we managed to defy the expectations. It was an exhilarating game, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
For the Lakers, this loss was a tough blow following their thrilling previous night, where James had secured a victory against the Indiana Pacers with a last-second tip-in for a 120-119 win. As the regular season approaches its conclusion, Los Angeles (44-29) finds itself in a precarious position after failing to take advantage of the Memphis Grizzlies’ (44-29) loss that night, missing the opportunity to gain sole control of fourth place in the Western Conference.
The Bulls (33-40), on the other hand, have been on a roll, winning 9 of their last 11 games and completing a season sweep of the Lakers, which includes a dominant 146-115 victory in Los Angeles on March 22.
“We just kept fighting through it. From Patrick’s three-pointer to Josh’s steal, to Coby’s three, then Reaves scores a layup, and finally Josh makes that half-court shot,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reflected. “All of that happened in the span of just 12 seconds. You don’t see that kind of sequence very often.”
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
