Beating reigning NBA champs Golden State meant more to Josh Giddey than his career-high 17 assists as he racked up a seventh triple-double for the season.
The Aussie star also had 17 points and 11 rebounds as his Oklahoma City Thunder beat defending champions Golden State 137-128 and firmed for a finals play-in spot.
Giddey, 20, became the youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double with more than 15 assists.
It was a third-straight win for the Thunder and Giddey has scored at least 17 points and produced nine assists in each of his last four games.
“I was trying to get guys the ball in spots at the right time and they took care of the rest,” Giddey, in his second season in the NBA, said on court after the win.
“It‘s a good feeling; they’ve had our number the last two seasons, we’ve struggled.
“It was a matter of who was going to weather the storm the best.
“Three in a row, in this part of the year, in how tight the West (conference) is, is very important.”
Thunder teammate Jaylin Williams was effusive in his post-game praise for Giddey.
“Gid’s a great passer, everyone knows that,” Thunder teammate Jaylin Williams said.
“We looked up and saw he had 17 assists and were like, ‘Dang!’”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top-scored for the Thunder with 33 points as his team improved to a 31-34 record.
Five teams share that record in a crowded western conference approaching the pointy end of the season.
