Eleven Seconds of Chaos: How Josh Giddey Stole a Victory From LeBron, Luka and the Lakers

CHICAGO

The Los Angeles Lakers had the game won.

At least, that is what the scoreboard suggested.

With 12.6 seconds remaining Thursday night, Los Angeles led the Chicago Bulls 115–110. LeBron James and Luka Dončić were positioned to leave the United Center with another victory, while Chicago appeared destined to spend the final seconds trying to make a five-point deficit look respectable.

Eleven seconds later, the building erupted.

Josh Giddey had launched a shot from beyond half court, watched it travel toward the basket and delivered an ending that scarcely seemed possible.

Chicago defeated Los Angeles 119–117.

The final sequence included three Bulls three-pointers, a costly Lakers turnover, a go-ahead layup from Austin Reaves and Giddey's buzzer-beating heave.

And it belonged to Giddey.

A finish that defied the scoreboard

The Lakers entered the final minute with every reason to believe they were leaving Chicago victorious.

Los Angeles had erased an early Bulls advantage and controlled the middle portions of the game.

The Lakers scored 37 points in the second quarter and 32 in the third, outscoring Chicago by 26 points across those two periods.

By the fourth quarter, the visitors had built an 18-point lead.

Chicago, however, continued attacking.

Coby White provided the offensive spark that kept the Bulls within reach. The guard finished with a team-high 26 points and nine assists, including 15 points in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls repeatedly turned to perimeter shooting as the clock worked against them.

Then the final sequence began.

Patrick Williams connected on a three-pointer with approximately 10 seconds remaining, cutting the Lakers' advantage to 115–113.

Chicago still trailed.

The Bulls needed a defensive play before they could attempt another shot.

Giddey delivered it.

As James attempted an inbound pass, Giddey intercepted the ball and quickly found White.

White connected from three-point range with six seconds remaining.

For the first time in the closing sequence, Chicago led.

The United Center erupted, but Los Angeles still had enough time to respond.

The Lakers answer, briefly

Reaves had been one of the Lakers' most effective scorers throughout the evening.

He finished with 30 points, leading Los Angeles.

After Chicago's dramatic go-ahead basket, Reaves attacked the rim and converted a layup with approximately three seconds remaining.

The Lakers were back in front, 117–116.

For most teams, that would have been enough.

The Bulls had no timeout available, leaving them with only seconds to advance the basketball and attempt a desperation shot.

Giddey inbounded to Williams near the baseline.

Williams returned the ball to his teammate.

Giddey took a dribble and launched the ball from approximately 47 feet.

James contested as the shot left Giddey's hands.

The buzzer sounded while the basketball was still in flight.

Then it dropped through the net.

Chicago 119. Los Angeles 117.

The Bulls had produced nine points in the final seconds, with three consecutive made three-pointers creating an ending that would immediately become one of the season's signature highlights.

Giddey's complete performance

The final shot deserved every replay it received, but focusing exclusively on the buzzer-beater overlooks how important Giddey had been throughout the game.

He finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

It was his fifth triple-double with Chicago.

The performance demonstrated the range of responsibilities the Bulls have entrusted to him.

Giddey created scoring opportunities for teammates, contributed on the glass and generated offense when Chicago needed a reliable ballhandler.

His fourth-quarter steal also reflected the defensive awareness required to exploit a momentary mistake.

The Lakers' inbound sequence was not simply an unfortunate bounce.

Giddey anticipated the pass and created the possession that allowed White to give Chicago the lead.

That play was just as important as the final shot.

Without it, Chicago likely never has an opportunity to complete the comeback.

White's shooting was another central factor.

The guard made five three-pointers overall and supplied the perimeter scoring Chicago desperately needed as the Lakers attempted to protect their advantage.

Kevin Huerter added 21 points, helping spread the offensive responsibility.

For Los Angeles, Reaves' 30 points were supported by Dončić's 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

James contributed 17 points and 12 assists.

Those performances should have been sufficient.

But the Lakers could not stop Chicago's final offensive surge.

The fourth-quarter shooting tells the story

One statistic illustrates how dramatically the final period shifted.

Chicago made 11 of 14 three-point attempts in the fourth quarter. Those makes produced 33 points, accounting for three-quarters of Chicago’s 44-point period. The Bulls needed that unusually efficient perimeter shooting to offset the deficit accumulated over the previous two quarters.

Los Angeles made just one of nine.

That disparity helped the Bulls score 44 points in the final period.

The Lakers scored 26.

Chicago's offense had struggled through the third quarter, managing only 17 points while Los Angeles extended its advantage.

But the Bulls' perimeter shooting became nearly unstoppable in the final 12 minutes.

White repeatedly punished defensive openings, and the Lakers struggled to eliminate Chicago's opportunities from beyond the arc.

The final shot was extraordinary.

The shooting performance that made it possible was nearly as remarkable.

A different kind of Bulls memory

The victory improved Chicago to 33–40.

The Bulls also won for the ninth time in 11 games, extending an encouraging stretch as the regular season approached its conclusion.

For a team still trying to establish a consistent identity, Thursday's finish offered a moment that transcended the standings.

There are games remembered for statistical achievements, playoff implications or individual rivalries.

Others survive because of a single image.

The image from Thursday will be Giddey releasing the basketball from beyond half court as the final horn sounds.

It will also be the reaction that followed.

Teammates rushing toward him. Lakers players looking toward the basket. The United Center celebrating a victory that had seemed beyond reach.

Chicago did not win because it controlled the entire night.

The Bulls won because they refused to concede the final seconds.

And because Josh Giddey made a shot that almost nobody in the building could have expected to fall.