Josh Giddey reacts to his near triple-double performance vs. Finland / News - Basketnews.com

Josh Giddey finished his FIBA Basketball World Cup debut with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He said that it was exciting, adding that he liked the physicality the referees allowed in comparison to the NBA.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

In his first FIBA Basketball World Cup game, the Australian guard Josh Giddey was near the first triple-double in World Cup history.

Player of the Game EFF 26 Patrick Mills Points 25 Accuracy 11-22 Rebounds 8 Assists 2

In a 98-72 win against Finland, Giddey finished the game with 14 points (4/8 2PT, 0/2 3PT, 6/7 FT), 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 21 EFF.

It was basically Giddey's debut for the Australian national team as well. Prior to Friday's game, Giddey represented Australia once in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in 2021.

"It's cool. Obviously, it's exciting being here, it's my first World Cup, representing my country with some great guys. It's exciting, great start, good win, and we move on to the next," Giddey said after the game.

However, it took a little bit of time for Giddey to ease into the game. Just like the rest of Australia's national team, Giddey struggled a bit at the beginning.

However, everything changed after halftime, and the fans were able to witness flashy Giddey's passes that ended in his teammates' dunks.

"We were sloppy with the ball – too many turnovers," Giddey spoke about the first half. "I think defensively, they were getting the offensive rebounds, they were knocking down shots. Once we got back to how we play, the tides turned. We were able to go on a run and continue that in the second half."

The 20-year-old also revealed that he liked the physicality the referees allowed during the game.

"It's obviously different [playing in FIBA and NBA]," Giddey said. "The referees allowed a lot of stuff going, which is great. I like to play physical. The rules are obviously different. I feel like there's less space on the FIBA court than in the NBA."

"We had a lot of practice games, a lot of training sessions as a team, so we've got used to it. For me, it's good to get out in the first real game and adjust to two different styles of play," Giddey concluded.

Up next, Australia will face Germany on Sunday.

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