Golden State, adjusting to life without injured Kevin Durant, fell to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, just the second time in nearly two years the Warriors have suffered back-to-back NBA regular-season defeats.
Jimmy Butler scored 22 points to lead four Bulls players in double figures in the 94-87 triumph.
The Warriors’ points total was their season low and they lost a second straight regular-season contest for the first time since April 2015.
Photo: AFP
The Warriors had fallen 112-108 to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, when Durant limped out of the game in the first quarter with what was later diagnosed as a knee ligament sprain and bone bruise.
The former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is sidelined indefinitely, although the Warriors, who have already secured a playoff berth, have not ruled out a return before the end of the regular season.
“Obviously, you feel for him and want him to get healthy as fast as possible, but not rush it because we have a long journey ahead of us going into the playoffs,” two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry said. “Next man up mentality, but obviously it will be tough to replace a guy like KD.”
Curry led the Warriors with 23 points, but he and “Splash Brother” teammate Klay Thompson combined to make just three of 22 three-point attempts.
Overall, the Warriors were six of 30 from three-point range in the defeat.
Thompson added 13 points and Draymond Green contributed a dozen in the defeat.
“A couple of shots we normally make did not fall,” said Curry, who was 10 of 27 from the field. “That’s not the reason we lost.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his team did not play with enough urgency to make up for their cold shooting.
“You are not always going to shoot well,” Kerr said. “When that happens, the ball is gold. You have to value each possession. Our intensity and focus was not there.”
Veteran Dwyane Wade scored 12 points for Chicago, putting the Bulls up 88-85 with 2 minutes, 16 seconds remaining.
Bulls reserve Paul Zipser closed out a 7-0 scoring run with a three-pointer that stretched Chicago’s lead to six points with 1:41 to play.
With the Warriors struggling from the floor, Chicago closed out the victory with a series of free throws.
The Bulls won for the fifth time in six games, improving to 31-30 — sixth in the Eastern Conference.
“Our defense hasn’t been good of late,” Wade said. “I thought today, our attention to detail was phenomenal. They missed some shots — even some of them open — but that’s part of the game.”
The Warriors slipped to 50-11, but they still have the best record in the league.
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