A shift is imminent on Friday night as the Chicago Bulls, riding the momentum of two consecutive overtime victories, welcome the Golden State Warriors.
Follow Us
A shift is imminent on Friday night as the Chicago Bulls, riding the momentum of two consecutive overtime victories, welcome the Golden State Warriors, who have suffered substantial defeats in their last two games.
The Bulls secured their three-game winning streak, with the latest two victories coming in overtime. They triumphed 119-112 on the road against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday and 124-119 at home on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets.
In pursuit of their fourth consecutive win, the Bulls aim to match their season-high against a Warriors squad that faced disapproval from the home crowd. This follows back-to-back lopsided defeats with scores of 133-118 and 141-105 at the hands of the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans, concluding a disappointing 2-5 homestand.
The two teams haven’t crossed paths since January 15 of the previous year, a game where the Bulls halted an 11-game losing streak against Golden State and its coach, Steve Kerr, a pivotal player in the Michael Jordan dynasty, securing five championships. In return visits to Chicago since 2014, Kerr has led the Warriors to triumph in seven out of nine encounters.
For the Bulls, Ball (knee injury) and Craig (heel injury) will not be playing the game. As for the Warriors, Moody (calf injury), Paul (calf injury), and Payton (hamstring injury) will be sitting this one out. Besides, Green could also miss out on the game.
In one of those coaching setbacks last January, Nikola Vucevic had a standout performance, amassing 43 points in a 132-118 victory for the Bulls. Notably, the Warriors were in the midst of a challenging stretch, playing their second game on the road after concluding an extensive eight-game homestand. Unfortunately, that homestand ended on a sour note with three consecutive losses, the final two by a combined margin of 26 points to the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns.
When compared to the overwhelming losses suffered by Golden State against the Raptors and Pelicans in the past five days, the 14- and 12-point defeats might be considered relatively close contests.
The defeats unfolded while Draymond Green observed from the bench following the conclusion of his 12-game suspension on Sunday. It is anticipated that he will join the lineup at some juncture during the team’s ongoing four-game road trip.
Kerr acknowledges the noticeable difference in the team’s dynamic in the absence of both Green and Chris Paul, who sustained a broken left hand during the homestand.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
