Beating the Warriors is hard enough. Doing so shorthanded is even more challenging.
Jimmy Butler will miss his third straight game with a right heel contusion Wednesday night. And the Bulls also could be without Dwyane Wade, who remained at the team hotel during the morning shootaround with an upper respiratory infection.
Coach Fred Hoiberg said Wade is a gametime decision. Associate head coach Jim Boylen also has the illness and didn’t attend the shootaround.
With Butler out, Hoiberg said Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams again will start. If Wade also sits, Hoiberg has another lineup decision to make. Don’t be surprised to see Denzel Valentine draw the start.
"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, participated in shootaround and could be available.
The Warriors, who are coming off an overtime loss to the Kings, haven’t dropped consecutive regular-season games since April 2015.
"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."
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