De’Andre Hunter’s Ankle-Breaker Literally Injures Josh Giddey
By Edcel Panganiban November 11, 2025 05:24
The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, that gleaming temple of Rust Belt redemption, hosted its share of savagery Saturday night, but none quite like the third-quarter sorcery that turned De’Andre Hunter into an ankle assassin and Josh Giddey into a hobbling punchline. With the Bulls clinging to an 83-78 lead and the clock ticking down like a fuse on a powder keg, Hunter the 6-foot-8 Cavaliers wing who's spent more seasons as a reliable rotation cog than a highlight factory isolated the lanky Aussie guard on the left wing. What followed wasn't just a crossover; it was a cataclysm. A hesitation dribble so filthy it vacuumed the air from the arena, leaving Giddey’s right foot twisted like a pretzel in a blender. He crumpled to the hardwood, clutching his ankle in agony, as Hunter rose for a contemptuous two-handed flush that sliced the deficit to five. The crowd's gasp morphed into a roar, but for Chicago, it was the sound of their 9-1 dream season cracking at the seams.
This wasn't hyperbole for the highlight reels; it was literal carnage. Giddey, the 23-year-old former sixth-overall pick out of Adelaide whose triple-double averages (21.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.3 assists through nine games) had the Bulls humming as East dark horses, limped off under his own power but with trainers in tow. He returned after a two-minute locker-room pit stop, logging another 12 minutes but looking every bit the ghost zero points post-injury on 0-for-3 shooting, his usual glide replaced by a gimpy shuffle that let Cleveland claw back for a 128-122 gut-punch win. "I was up on my tippy-toes, weak spot for the ankle," Giddey winced postgame, ice bag blooming purple around his right foot like a bad tattoo. "Tried to mirror the move, and it just... rolled. Not the highlight you want, but respect to De’Andre that's a helluva play." By Monday, the fallout hit: Giddey sidelined indefinitely for the Bulls' road swing starting against San Antonio, per team docs diagnosing a moderate right ankle sprain. Chicago, now 9-2 after a Sunday matinee loss to the Knicks, braces for the ripple Coby White still nursing a calf tweak, Ayo Dosunmu on a quad-minutes leash. "Josh is our engine," Bulls coach Billy Donovan lamented, his voice gravel from the late-night film grind. "That play? It shifted momentum, sure, but more than that, it hurts us deep. He's tough he'll be back but damn, that was vicious."
For Hunter, the 28-year-old Atlanta native who's bounced from Hawks stardom (18.9 points on 50 percent shooting in 2019-20) to Cleveland's bench brigade via a midseason trade last February, this was redemption wrapped in ridicule. Acquired for depth behind Max Strus and Isaac Okoro, he's carved a niche as the Cavs' sixth man spark 12.7 points off the pine this year on 48.2 percent from the field and a sneaky 36.1 from deep, his 4.2 rebounds per game anchoring a frontcourt that's third in the league at defensive rating (104.8). Saturday? He erupted for 22 points in 28 minutes, including that poster on Patrick Williams moments later, but the crossover owned the night. "I didn't even see him go down at first," Hunter admitted, replay flickering on his phone in the locker room scrum. "Just felt the space open, hit the hesi, and boom finish strong. Grateful he's alright; that's not the goal. But in the moment? You gotta seize it." Teammate Donovan Mitchell, who torched Chicago for 32 points and five dimes, was less diplomatic: "Straight ankle-breaker, no contact. I was in shock on the bench like, 'Did that just happen?' Tough break for Josh, but De’Andre's been putting in the bag work. That paid off."
The internet? It didn't mourn; it memed. The clip, first blasted by House of Highlights and the NBA's own feed, amassed 12.7 million views across platforms by tip-off Monday, spawning a digital diaspora of Giddey edits: his fall synced to The Matrix bullet time, Hunter as a smirking Neo, or the Aussie guard captioned "When you try to guard prime Iverson but forget the ankles." Reddit's r/nba erupted with 18,874 upvotes on a thread titled "[Highlight] De'Andre Hunter breaks Giddey's ankles and then put Patrick Williams on a poster," comments a torrent of schadenfreude: "Bro literally got injured on an ankle-breaker walk it off? Nah, that's career therapy material." Another: "This is like a video game animation. Giddey's rhythm just... poof. Swept off by the gods." X (formerly Twitter) trended #AnkleBreakerGiddey worldwide, with 2.3 million impressions, fans piling on: "De’Andre Hunter sent Josh Giddey to the shadow realm 😭" from @psnbasketball, racking 9 likes and a repost storm. Even SBNation's Ricky O'Donnell chimed in live: "Oh gosh... hopefully not a literal ankle-breaker." Bleacher Report's post? 87,500 likes, 9,200 reposts, the internet's collective "OOF" echoing louder than the final buzzer.
In a league where ankles are currency -- think Jamal Crawford's eternal crossovers or Kyrie Irving's dream shakes Hunter's move joins rarified air. It's the first "literal" ankle-breaker injury since Ja Morant's 2022 hesitation on Desmond Bane, and only the third this decade per NBA tracking data, behind a 2021 Clippers-Wizards dust-up. But context elevates it: Giddey, whose 6-foot-8 frame makes him a unicorn facilitator (third in the NBA with 9.3 assists per game), was Chicago's glue in a season of surprises. The Bulls lead the East at 9-1 entering the week, their pace-and-space attack ranking fourth in offensive rating (116.4), but injuries are the great equalizer. Without Giddey vs. the Spurs? Zach LaVine shoulders more (already 25.8 points per), but the chemistry frays. "We lean on him heavy," Donovan added. "That roll? It's a wake-up guard your feet, or pay the price."
For the Cavs (7-3, second in the East), it's jet fuel. Cleveland's bench, maligned after trading Garland rumors swirled in the offseason, now boasts Hunter as its X-factor -- his plus-8.2 net rating tops the unit. Kenny Atkinson, the rookie head man who's juiced the Wine and Gold to league-best turnover margin (+5.2), grinned postgame: "De’Andre's quiet killer. That hesi? Pure. Reminds me of coaching Kemba hesitation creates hesitation in defenders." Mitchell, ever the hype man, posted the clip to his IG story with fire emojis: "My dawg just unlocked a new skill tree. #AnkleAssassin."
Yet amid the laughs, there's a sobering undercurrent. Giddey's out at least a week, per reports, his status for Thursday's Knicks rematch murky amid swelling that "feels like a balloon," in his words. In an NBA where load management is gospel, this raw injury no malice, just masterful misdirection underscores the fine line between flair and fragility. Hunter, for one, feels the weight: "Prayers up for JG. Game's physical; hope he's rim-rattlin' soon."
As the league rolls on Celtics-76ers brewing Tuesday, Nuggets-Kings tipping out West Hunter's hesi lingers like a bad dream for defenders, a viral elixir for fans. In the annals of ankle lore, it's top-shelf: not just broken, but bruised, benched, and now, Bulls-burdening. De’Andre Hunter didn't just drop Giddey; he elevated the art of the break. And in doing so, reminded us: In the NBA's ballet of brutality, one hesitation can hobble a hero.
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