Facing Warriors deprived of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Gary Payton II, the Bulls took on water in the first half and lost Zach LaVine to a left knee injury. In difficulty with its attack for several weeks, Golden State finished the meeting with 38 assists, for only 7 lost balls, and 44% of 3-point address.
After their failed game in Milwaukee, the Warriors jumped at the Bulls’ throat. They lose only one ball and score 37 points in the first quarter thanks to the long distance address of Jordan Poole, holder in place of a Klay Thompson left to rest, and the domination of Andrew Wiggins near the circle (37-28). Lonzo Ball and his 4 of 6 from a distance had limited the damage so far, and DeMar DeRozan followed suit by causing fouls on rookie Jonathan Kuminga but that did not prevent the Bulls from exploding in midair.
Four interceptions from Andre Iguodala, six straight points from Stephen Curry, and a promising pass from Kuminga set the Warriors up 22-7! Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry continue to press where it hurts and Golden State returns to the locker room at +31, with 46% three-point success, and with only 2 lost balls (78-47)!
Trailing by 30 points at the break in Milwaukee the day before, the Warriors became the second team in history to score more than 30 points at halftime in their next game. They finished the game in freewheel to find the way to victory after two defeats in a row and allow Jonathan Kuminga to shine.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— The future of the Warriors belongs to Jonathan Kuminga. After the match against Milwaukee, Steve Kerr had made the parallel between the first seasons of Giannis Antetokounmpo and that of his rookie, and what became the MVP of the last Finals. We obviously want the same trajectory for the young Warrior and a few hours later, he proved his coach right by showing his full potential during Golden State’s devastating second quarter. Kuminga scores 12 points there, hitting the mark from afar and attacking the circle with insane power. He showed great vision for the game there, and like when the Bulls visited the Chase Center, he made life difficult for DeMar DeRozan, staying in his shorts and learning in passing from two quick fouls to contain the All-Star with brio. The rookie finished the game with 25 points on 10 of 12 on shots.
— The Bulls lack size. Wednesday, Kevin Durant had fun against the defense of the Bulls. Last night, the Warriors started the game by stuffing Andrew Wiggins with a low post ball and the former Wolf had a great time. With the injury of Patrick Williams, the LaVine – DeRozan duo both under two meters, and the recent knee injury of Derrick Jones Jr, the Bulls continue to suffer against opposing wingers for lack of size and size. If they hope to make a big splash in the playoffs, the Bulls will have to be active in the transfer market to fill this gap.
— More fear than harm for Zach LaVine? In the third minute of the game, Zach LaVine went for a harmless offensive rebound, before fouling Stephen Curry one possession later to go straight to the locker room, followed by the Bulls doctor. The rear would have felt discomfort in the left knee and the leaders of Chicago preferred not to take any risks. According to ESPN, he will pass a control MRI on Saturday but the Illinois franchise does not seem worried.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Stephen Curry/Jordan Poole. Aligned on the back base last night, the two players were much more aggressive than the day before in Milwaukee and that allowed them to find address. Stephen Curry finished with 19 points at 4 of 10 from a distance while Jordan Poole added 22 points at 5 of 9.
✅ Andrew Wiggins. Served early in the game, the winger took advantage of his size advantage to punish the Chicago defense and score 20 of his 21 points before the break. He also distributed 6 assists.
✅ Otto Porter Jr.. The former Bull played at the Draymond Green that night. He was omnipresent and finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals, in just 19 minutes!
✅ Nikola Vucevic. With 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists, the pivot was one of the only Bulls to emerge from the game tonight, despite largesse in defense.
⛔ Lonzo Ball. The Bulls leader scored 12 of his 15 in the first quarter but it was his 5 loose balls, all in the first half, that allowed the Warriors to take off.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (31-11): the Warriors end their road trip to Minnesota on Sunday.
Chicago (27-13): the Bulls will not have time to procrastinate after a second heavy loss. They play back-to-back in Boston on Saturday.
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