OAKLAND, Calif. _ The Golden State Warriors aren't an easy match for opponents on any night. Take away your two leading scorers and the task almost isn't fair.
That was the case for the short-handed Chicago Bulls in Golden State's 123-92 victory on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.
Chicago's All-Star starter Jimmy Butler was relegated to hype man duties while missing his third straight game with a right heel contusion and Dwyane Wade had to hang back at the hotel with an upper respiratory illness, leaving the Bulls searching to make up a combined 43.7 points.
The Warriors wouldn't allow that as every starter hit double figures in another comfortable victory. In bouncing back from a loss to the Sacramento Kings four nights earlier, the Warriors extended their NBA record streak to 138 games without suffering consecutive losses. They haven't dropped two in a row since losing at San Antonio and New Orleans late in the 2014-15 season.
Klay Thompson led the way on his 27th birthday with 28 points, including six 3-pointers. Kevin Durant flirted with a triple double and had 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
After notching just 22 assists in the flat loss to the Kings _ their second-lowest total of the season _ the Warriors moved the ball around better and had assists on 37 of their 48 baskets.
It wasn't always the prettiest basketball. The teams combined for 12 turnovers in the first quarter, with the Bulls coughing it up seven times.
JaVale McGee had the hot hand early. He had a tip-in and a dunk for the Warriors' first two buckets and two more dunks _ including an alley-oop toss from Draymond Green _ gave him eight of Golden State's first 15 points.
Thompson hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the quarter during a 13-0 Warriors run and Golden State had a 30-17 lead after a quarter.
The teams traded punches in the second period, with Chicago pulling within single digits twice and the Warriors answering both times.
Green was responsible in the first instance. After the Bulls made it 32-24, Green drilled a 3-pointer, converted a pair of free throws and hit another 3 in a 52-second span that gave the Warriors a boost.
Chicago got within nine points with less than three minutes to go in the first half, but the Warriors closed the half strong to lead 55-41 at the break.
McGee had another alley-oop and Thompson hit two more 3s in the first minute of the third and the Warriors were up 20 for the first time on the night.
The strong outing for McGee continued when he added another dunk and completed a three-point play, but he experienced a scare not long after. McGee bit on a Robin Lopez pump fake and came crashing down on his back. After spending a few moments on the ground in discomfort, he left the game with 7:03 left in the third quarter.
McGee went to the locker room to get checked out, but eventually returned to the bench for the fourth quarter. His night on the court was over though with the Warriors in charge.
Green continued his hot shooting from downtown when he opened the fourth-quarter scoring with another 3-pointer. He made his first four before finally missing one and finished the night 5 of 6 from downtown. He had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Chicago got the deficit down to 14 points early in the fourth quarter, but that was as close as it got. When Durant cut to the lane for a dunk with 5:06 to play, the lead was 106-85 and the drama was over.
_ Briante Weber made his Warriors debut when he checked in for Stephen Curry with 2:58 left in the third. The former NBA Development League star missed his first shot attempt, a floater in the lane. He checked back into the game in the fourth quarter and scored on a layup in the final minute, much to the delight of another sellout crowd. He had two points, one assist and two rebounds.
_ Thompson rejoined the team after missing the previous two days to attend his grandfather's funeral in Vancouver, Wash. This was the first time in his NBA career he's experienced a victory on his birthday. The Warriors lost in both 2013 and 2014, with him averaging 13.0 in losses at Memphis and Phoenix.
