SAN FRANCISCO — Midway through the third quarter of a third straight clutch win for the Chicago Bulls, DeMar DeRozan muscled through the paint to draw a foul through a hook shot, then turned to his teammates with his fists and jaw clenched as he delivered a swift order: “Calm the f— down.”
DeRozan was right. The Bulls needed to settle down. They had erased an early 13-point deficit Thursday to tie it up at halftime on the road against the Golden State Warriors, only to let that deficit creep back up to five points in the first five minutes of the second half.
This wasn’t the championship-caliber version of Golden State. But even in a down season, the Warriors are experienced, crafty and well-equipped enough to disrupt a team like the Bulls still new to a win streak. And the Warriors leaned into their strengths, speeding up the game and pushing the ball in transition to make the Bulls as uncomfortable as possible.
But DeRozan’s message was received loud and clear.
“We felt like we started playing their game and that doesn’t suit us,” center Nikola Vučević said. “We were just talking about slowing down and taking our time and making the right reads. That’s one thing we also got better at as a team – when somebody says something, to respond the right way and listen and adjust. And it showed tonight.”
Asked Vooch about this moment and what came after. He said it reflects a key growth in the way the Bulls react to each other and slow down in tight games.
“One thing we also got better at as a team is when somebody says something to respond the right way and listen and adjust.” https://t.co/85ccbLtJsh pic.twitter.com/EregNzoPRK
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) March 8, 2024
The change wasn’t immediate but the Bulls finished the third quarter on an 18-8 run to take a 10-point lead. It didn’t last, of course, as the Warriors unleashed another onslaught. But led by their veteran duo, the Bulls kept their cool and clinched their third consecutive clutch win – and their 22nd of the season.
Here are five takeaways from the win.
1. Veterans take the lead
DeRozan and Vučević don’t always need to dominate. But against a Warriors team helmed by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Chris Paul, the savvy of experience was necessary to navigate to a win.
Vučević scored easily as he took advantage of Golden State’s lack of size, netting 13 points in the first quarter alone on his way to a 33-point performance. DeRozan reached 33 points the opposite way – scoring only four points in the opening quarter, then netting nine points in the fourth quarter.
In addition to shooting from the field, DeRozan drew 10 fouls to slow the pace of play and put the Warriors in foul trouble early. He finished 10-for-11 from the free-throw line.
2. Bulls win from behind the arc
Most NBA fans are accustomed to seeing the Warriors dominate from behind the arc, but the Bulls flipped that script. The Bulls outscored the Warriors 48-33 from 3-point range, finishing 16-for-36 from behind the arc while Golden State shot 11-for-42.
Vučević and DeRozan each finished 3-for-6 from 3-point range while Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Jevon Carter and Onuralp Bitim logged two 3-pointers apiece. The Warriors logged six of their 11 3-pointers in the opening quarter, falling cold after the initial frame.
3. Warriors lose two stars in the final four minutes
The Warriors were fully healthy — a welcome change in an injury-laden season — but they finished the game with two of their top players off the court.
Curry rolled his ankle with 3:54 left in regulation, immediately going to the locker room for evaluation and did not return. He had scored 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting before the injury. Coach Steve Kerr did not provide any additional injury updates after the game.
With the team’s top scorer already out of action, the Bulls successfully removed another Warriors veteran with :58 seconds left when Alex Caruso drew an offensive foul on Draymond Green. White stepped into the path of Green on a play four minutes earlier, drawing his fifth foul. Caruso’s work to draw the charge ended Green’s night a minute early, giving the Bulls an upper hand in personnel.
4. Torrey Craig returns
Power forward Torrey Craig made a limited return from a right knee sprain incurred over the All-Star break. Before the game, coach Billy Donovan said Craig would be held to a 12- to 16-minute restriction on his playing time, with a goal of limiting his consecutive minutes played.
Craig logged two assists, one rebound and a blocked shot in 14 minutes.
5. Bulls on a winning streak
Winning streaks have been hard to come by for the Bulls this season. But with Thursday’s win, the Bulls have won three straight games — and crept only one game away from returning to .500 for the first time since the opening month.
The Bulls will have an opportunity to sweep the entire road trip as they play one final West Coast game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday before returning home to Chicago.
