Stephen Curry’s ankle injury exacerbated the Golden State Warriors’ devastating loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at Chase Center.
The two-time MVP walked off the court after hurting his ankle on a drive with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Curry’s absence, combined with that of Draymond Green, who fouled out with a minute to go, proved costly as DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls to a nail-biting victory on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
The two-time MVP hobbled off the court after twisting his ankle during a drive with less than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Curry’s absence, along with that of Draymond Green, who fouled out with a minute to play, proved costly as DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls to victory in a nail-biting game on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
The Golden State Warriors are prepared to calculate the cost beyond their 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Chase Centre on Thursday night.
The Golden State Warriors are ready to assess the cost of their 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Chase Center on Thursday night.
Golden State jumped out to a 31-18 lead in the first quarter, capitalizing on their momentum from Wednesday’s crushing victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, a DeRozan four-point play late in the quarter sparked Chicago’s comeback, which lasted the rest of the first half.
The Bulls led 63-59 at halftime and maintained control throughout the game, taking a 10-point lead into the fourth. However, with to additional strong performances from Warrior youngsters Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the hosts retook the lead in what became a back-and-forth battle in the final few minutes.
Curry’s night ended early after only 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting, and Green fouled out on a moving screen after scoring his first triple-double in over two years. With 40 seconds left, Klay Thompson scored a three to restore Golden State’s lead, but DeRozan reclaimed it for Chicago with a third-and-one on Jonathan Kuminga.
Brandin Podziemski had a good opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds, but he missed at the rim, ultimately ruining the Warriors’ chances of victory.
The Bulls entered the game ranked 22nd in three-point attempts and 23rd in three-point percentage, while the Warriors were third and ninth, respectively. Despite these numbers, Chicago made five more three-pointers in the game, shooting 44.4% compared to Golden State’s 26.2%.
While it may have been the difference, the story will undoubtedly revolve around Curry, with the organization now anxious about their superstar’s fitness. Head coach Steve Kerr gave no update on the 34-year-old after the game, but there are concerns that Curry will miss time with only 20 games left in the regular season.
Thompson led the Warriors with five three-pointers and 25 points off the bench. Kuminga had 19 points and 10 rebounds, but he will be dissatisfied with how he handled DeRozan down the stretch, whereas Green finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in just under 33 minutes.
The Golden State bench outscored Chicago 58-20, with Chris Paul adding 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Moody finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in less than 23 minutes, while Jackson-Davis added eight points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
The Warriors’ next two games will be against the San Antonio Spurs, beginning Saturday night at Chase Center.
Warriors’ Klay Thompson returns to the starting lineup against the Raptors.
