The Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors battled evenly for 48
minutes of regulation play and 4:53 of overtime before Bulls star
Derrick Rose hit a tiebreaking 21-footer with seven seconds
remaining for a 113-111 victory.
The Warriors' home winning streak ended at 19 games.
Rose's field goal was one of just three the Bulls managed in the
extra five minutes, but that was enough to produce Chicago's 17th
road win of the season.
"It puts tremendous pressure on you," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said
of having to defend Warriors guards Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.
"So for (Rose) to play the way he did and have the ability to make
that shot at the end, it was tremendous."
The win added to a collection of impressive road victories for the
Bulls, who earlier this season notched wins away from home over
Toronto, the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, Washington and Dallas.
In the first of six consecutive games on the road, Chicago held the
Warriors to 2-for-11 shooting in the overtime session and survived a
controversial referees' decision with 2.9 seconds remaining to win
for the third time in its past four games.
After Rose's tough, difference-making hoop over Warriors defensive
ace Thompson, Golden State went to backup forward Andre Iguodala
under the basket with a chance to tie. The veteran pump-faked Bulls
rookie forward Nikola Mirotic into the air and drew a foul as he
flung a shot into the back of the backboard.
However, instead of sending the Warrior to the free-throw line with
a chance to draw his team even, the referees determined that
Iguodala was not in the act of shooting when fouled, and they
instead awarded Golden State the ball out of bounds.
"We felt like we had it won a couple of times," Warriors coach Steve
Kerr said. "We just couldn't close it."
After a timeout, Thompson, the reigning Western Conference Player of
the Week, got a good look at a running 12-footer, but the shot
banked too hard off the backboard, enabling the Bulls (30-17) to
walk away with the tight win.
"We have a resilient group, a group that is willing to fight and
compete," Bulls veteran forward Pau Gasol said. "We just can't pick
and choose wins. We can't come to Golden State and win the way
they've been playing, and lose to under-.500 teams."
Despite 13-for-33 shooting, Rose led the Bulls with 30 points. He
also had seven rebounds but committed 11 turnovers.
Gasol (16 rebounds) and center Joakim Noah (15) combined for 31
boards for Chicago, which outrebounded Golden State 61-48. The Bulls
outscored the Warriors 24-14 on second-chance points, which helped
them offset 21 turnovers and a 31-8 Golden State advantage on
fast-break points.
The Warriors (36-7) were playing without center Andrew Bogut, who
was a late scratch because of the flu.
Gasol and Noah each scored 18 points for the Bulls, who were without
shooting guard Jimmy Butler (illness) and small forward Mike
Dunleavy (sprained right ankle). Backup forward Taj Gibson nearly
gave Chicago a third big man with a points/rebounds double-double,
as he finished with 10 points and nine boards.
Thompson's 30 points paced the Warriors, who were seeking their
first season-series sweep of the Bulls since 2000-01. He also led
the Warriors with 10 rebounds.
[to top of second column] |
Thompson shot 4-for-10 from beyond the 3-point arc for the Warriors,
who missed their last 13 3-point attempts, including all four they
tried in overtime. The league leaders in 3-point field-goal
percentage went just 9-for-33 (27.3 percent) from long range in the
game.
"We're a team that thrives on that 3-point line," said Warriors
backup forward David Lee, who totaled a season-best 24 points to go
with nine rebounds and six assists. "We had some good looks. I'll
take (my chances with those shots) 99 times out of 100."
Curry added 21 points and nine assists for the Warriors, but he
missed 14 of his 23 shots, including seven of his nine 3-point
attempts.
The loss was the Warriors' first of the season against Eastern
Conference competition in 15 games, and Golden State's first at home
against any competition since Nov. 11 against the San Antonio Spurs.
"You are not going to win them all," Kerr said. "We won 19 straight
games at home. We were probably due for one (loss)."
The Warriors forced overtime after nearly throwing the game away in
the final seconds of regulation. Power forward Draymond Green's
tip-in over the taller Noah with 1.4 seconds remaining sent the game
into the extra period tied at 107.
The Warriors led 105-104 and got possession of the ball following a
Noah miss with 22.7 seconds left. But instead of trying to dribble
out the clock or perhaps draw a foul, Curry attempted to pass the
ball upcourt, only to have it deflected into the Bulls' hands.
Rose, who recorded the steal, then fed veteran guard Kirk Hinrich
for a 3-pointer that stunningly gave Chicago its first lead of the
second half, 107-105, with 15.8 seconds to go.
NOTES: Bulls PG Derrick Rose became the first player in NBA history
to record as many as 11 turnovers and just one assist in a game in
which he scored at least 30 points. ... The Bulls' biggest lead of
the game was two points. ... The Bulls' 61 rebounds were the most
for a Golden State opponent this season. ... The Warriors were
attempting to become the first San Francisco Bay Area professional
team to win 20 consecutive home games since the Oakland Athletics
accomplished the feat from Aug. 25, 2001, to April 3, 2002. ...
Multiple sources reported Tuesday that Warriors backcourt mates
Steve Curry and Klay Thompson will be among six players competing in
the 3-point shooting competition on All-Star Weekend in New York.
... Bulls SF Mike Dunleavy participated in the club's morning
shootaround but was not deemed ready to face the Warriors. He missed
his 15th consecutive game.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |