CHICAGO _ After two of the most disappointing losses of the season, the Warriors walked into United Center Friday night desperate for more than a moral victory.
The Warriors beat to the Bulls, 100-98, Friday. The loss saved a five-city trip during which they went 1-4. After fading in the second half of the last two games, losing by a combined 40 points to sub-.500 teams, the Warriors were in position to win late, and executed.
With a one-point lead in the final few minutes, forward Draymond Green's lob to center Willie Cauley-Stein extended the lead to three, but Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen quickly followed up with a 3-pointer from the top the arc to tie the game with 3:36 left. Neither team scored for two minutes of game time, until Green's split free throws broke the tie with 1:26 remaining.
Green's second lob, this one to forward Glenn Robinson III, gave the Warriors a two-point lead with a minute left. On the Warriors' next possession, guard D'Angelo Russell air balled a shot and missed another after Robinson's offensive rebound.
With the ball back, Bulls coach Jim Boylen called a timeout with 13 seconds left to set up for the final possession. Bulls guard Zach LaVine isolated against Robinson, whose shot clanged off the front of the rim. Green came down with the rebound to secure the Warriors' only win of a grueling trip that included games in Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Charlotte.
Having been away from the Bay since the night before Thanksgiving, the Warriors looked forward to ending their trip on a high note as they completed shoot-around Friday morning.
Golden State got off to an urgent start. Russell's back-to-back 3-pointers and forward Eric Paschall's tipped pass preceding Robinson's floater put the Warriors up 10-6 midway through the opening period. However, Chicago came back to reclaim a 28-23 lead after the first quarter.
The Warriors then opened the second quarter on a 14-3 run, shepherded by guards Ky Bowman and Alec Burks, to take a six-point lead. Again, the Bulls steadily took back the advantage, leading 51-50 after a tightly contested first half that featured nine lead changes.
In his second game back from a thumb injury that sidelined him for nine games, Russell struggled after his consecutive shots in the first quarter. He finished with seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, five assists and four turnovers in 29 minutes.
Robinson had one of his strongest performances of the season with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds and two steals, and claimed important rebounds down the stretch. Burks added 14 points to lead a strong bench effort, as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr used 11 players in his rotation.
The Warriors entered the game having lost 15 of their last 17 games. As the final buzzer sounded, Green held onto the rebound for a few extra seconds, as if to make sure no one could take away the much-needed win. Teammates pounded Robinson's chest, congratulating him for a hardy effort.
The Warriors will return to San Francisco with a softer schedule, and will play on the road only three more times in December. Having so far played more road games than any team in the NBA, the break, like Friday's win, is well-earned.
