Beating the Warriors is hard enough. Doing so shorthanded is even more challenging.
Jimmy Butler missed his third straight game with a right heel contusion Wednesday night. And the Bulls also were without Dwyane Wade, who remained at the team hotel with an upper respiratory infection.
Then the Bulls lost Paul Zipser, who started, to a left ankle injury in the first half. The Warriors led 55-41 at halftime.
Kevin Durant’s 13 points and 10 from Draymond Green paced the Warriors, who never trailed.
Taj Gibson’s nine points and six rebounds led the Bulls.
"I don’t want to be able to go out there and play like 10 minutes and be like, ‘I can’t move.’ I want to go out there and be the player I can be on both ends of the floor," Butler said of his approach to the injury. "My coaches, my teammates understand that. When I go out there I want to play. There ain’t gonna be no restrictions. Go out there and play however many minutes, whatever I’m asked to do on the basketball court."
In a surprise, Cristiano Felicio, whom the Bulls originally said would miss a week with a lower right leg strain, returned two days ahead of schedule and logged four points and two rebounds.
The Warriors, who are coming off an overtime loss to the Kings, haven’t dropped consecutive regular-season games since April 2015.
Starting lineups
Bulls: Jerian Grant, Michael Carter-Williams, Paul Zipser, Taj Gibson, Robin Lopez
Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, JaVale McGee
The quote
"It’s obviously a game where there are so many things you have to prepare for, with Draymond (Green’s) ability to handle the ball and all the shooting they have and the forceful rim rollers with (JaVale) McGee and the small lineup that they play quite a bit," Hoiberg said. "We have to try to make it as difficult as possible."
Up next
At Suns, Friday
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