The Warriors no longer lose at home. A few days after their defeat in Dallas, the Californians found their way back to winning ways with a 9th straight success in their lair, against the Bulls (119-111). They had to come out with a big end to the game against Chicago players who came back to one point, after being led by 19 units at the end of the third quarter.
Started on very offensive bases from the first quarter (35-33), this match gradually tipped in favor of the defending champions in the second quarter. Comfortably in the lead at the break (63-52), they were able to count on a completely unstoppable Jordan Poole in attack to widen the biggest gap of the game towards the end of the third quarter (86-67).
One could then imagine that a long “garbage time” was in preparation. It was without counting on the selflessness of a few men on the bench opposite, including Goran Dragic and Javonte Green, who, possession by possession, began to question this gap.
On a 3-point shot in “catch-in-shoot” from Zach LaVine, just over two minutes from the end, Chicago was only one point behind (110-109). But the Bulls suffered the instant response of Draymond Green from the same distance and the Warriors, with the seriousness of Klay Thompson on the line, finally finished scaring each other.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The smugness of the Warriors. With more than 17 lost balls per game on average this season, the Californians are the second worst students in the league in this area, behind the Rockets. This meeting was a new illustration of their difficulties in taking care of the ball. Like Stephen Curry who, in addition to his foul concerns (his expulsion was canceled one minute from the end thanks to a victorious challenge from Steve Kerr), lost the most leather. These blunders could have been fatal in this fourth quarter, the Bulls having thus scored 27 points after their “turnovers”, where the Warriors only scored 6 in the same circumstances.
– Steve Kerr’s coaching choice. While Jordan Poole was really hot, the Warriors coach preferred to reinject Andrew Wiggins on the floor six minutes from the end, while Chicago pushed for the score, and we never saw the offensive joker again at the end of the match. . Steve Kerr tried to put it back two minutes from time, before changing his mind. Deprived of “money time”, Jordan Poole still received a technical foul for celebrating a basket on entering the field, like Draymond Green on the Wolves floor recently.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jordan Poole. Very nice offensive eruption for the 6th man of the Warriors. Author of a big first quarter, the substitute was the main explanation for the gap widened in the third period, with in particular a shot sent without dribbling a few centimeters from the central logo which well deserved a tongue pull. Less inspired in the last act, countered even in the circle by Javonte Green, he did not play in the last minutes.
✅ Draymond Green. We will still have to wait before his first triple-double of the season. But the interior still touched everything and was especially decisive in the last moments with this 3-point basket, two minutes from the end, or his counter on the distant attempt of Alex Caruso a few seconds later .
✅ Goran Dragic. The Bulls’ comeback bears the hallmark of the Dragon. This one made only good choices in the attack by being patient and altruistic, and by varying the rhythms. He didn’t lose a ball.
✅ Nikola Vucevic. While the DeMar DeRozan – Zach LaVine tandem suffered in terms of address (12/33), the pivot signed a solid match, ending with his 12th double-double of the season. Clumsy too from a distance, he did some damage as he approached the circle. We liked to see Zach LaVine insist with him to serve him low post in the last quarter.
⛔ DeMar DeRozan. The back is missed as rarely this season. After missing his six attempts in the first period, he woke up in the third quarter before falling back into offensive silence in the last.
THE FOLLOWING
Warriors (12-11) : reception of the Rockets, the next night.
Bulls (9-13) : trip to Sacramento, Sunday.
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