The Warriors, coming off an overtime loss to the Kings, haven’t lost two straight regular-season games since April 2015, an NBA record.
The Bulls sometimes look like two different teams in the same game, such is their streakiness.
They play for the first time Wednesday.
"Talent is No. 1. We have enough talent where we don’t have to be at our best to win games. Not everybody can say that," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the NBA record stretch. "It’s really a remarkable streak. I don’t know how much longer it can last. I’m not trying to jinx us, but it’s an incredible feat. You don’t go almost two years without losing back-to-back games without being super competitive. So I’m super proud of our guys."
Kerr’s second word when asked about the Bulls was "streaky." So even though he hasn’t faced them yet this season, he knows.
"They’re hard to figure out," Kerr said. "They have looked great at times and had big wins against some of the best teams. And then they’ll have a bad stretch. But you know they have great talent with Jimmy (Butler) and (Dwyane) Wade on the perimeter. I like their big guys. They’re a good post-up team. You don’t see a lot of that these days. But they have a lot of guys who can go on the block. We have to be ready."
Getting better: Butler did some shooting Tuesday but didn’t scrimmage as the Bulls had a light practice at the University of San Francisco. Coach Fred Hoiberg said Butler still has soreness in the right heel contusion that has sidelined him for two games. He’s listed officially as questionable versus the Warriors.
"He’s just so physically strong," Kerr said of Butler. "Guys like that who run all day and are physical and get into people and still perform at the offensive end, that’s a unique trait."
Final flourish: The NBA announced DeMarcus Cousins will be suspended one game without pay for receiving his 15th and 16th technical fouls during Monday’s loss to the Bulls. Cousins’ late ejection prompted Taj Gibson to recall Joakim Noah’s incredibly memorable ejection from a Feb. 3, 2014 loss at the Kings.
Noah drew a $15,000 fine the next day for verbally abusing the officials.
"Joakim went crazy, went off. He gave everybody the ‘(expletive)’ and (one official) the ‘you’re cool’ and ‘I’m out,’" Gibson said, laughing at the memory of Noah pointing and swearing at officials. "Every fourth quarter in ‘Sac’ is pandemonium."
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