The Golden State Warriors put together a comeback for the ages on Thursday night, erasing a 23-point first half deficit en route to a stunning 124-117 road win over the rival Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors closed the game on a 25-8 run, securing their 13th win in a row to open the 2015-16 NBA season.
Stephen Curry was up to his usual tricks, dropping 40 points on the Clippers including keying a fourth-quarter spurt for the Dubs where they shot 88.9% from downtown (8-of-9).
The Warriors are now just the fifth team to start an NBA season with a 13-0 record or better. If they can beat the Chicago Bulls at home on Friday, they'll tie the 1957-58 Boston Celtics for the best start to a season by a defending NBA champion. With a win over the Bulls in hand, a victory in Denver on Sunday would tie them with the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets for the best start in NBA history (15-0). If they complete both those tasks AND beat the reeling Los Angeles Lakers at home on Tuesday, they'll set a new record just two days before Thanksgiving.
First things first, it's time to get you ready for Friday night's game against the Bulls with our preview & prediction:
Time: 7:30pm EST
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
Line: Warriors by 8.5
TV Channel: ESPN (national), CSN Bay Area (Bay Area local), WGN-TV (Chicago local)
Key To The Game:
Bulls guard Derrick Rose is out on Friday with a sprained ankle, so it's up to veteran Kirk Hinrich to set the tone for the Bulls at the point. However, problems are compounded by backup point guard Aaron Brooks' absence due to a left hamstring injury and a potential minutes limit on Hinrich as he recovers from a toe injury. E'Twaun Moore is expected to play big minutes and Jimmy Butler might run the offense as well, but Hinrich's contributions as a defender and a contributor in key spots will dictate whether the Bulls can keep pace. Hinrich scored 14 points in place of Rose in Wednesday's win at Phoenix, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and dishing out six assists.
What They're Saying About The Dubs
Klay Thompson: Warriors "Addicted To The Feeling Of Winning" (CSN Bay Area)
Warriors focused on repeating as champs, not win streak (ESPN)
Dubs need 'A' game to beat Bulls and chase history (Warriors World)
Prediction: Warriors 107, Bulls 97
We originally pegged this game as a potential pitfall for the Warriors, considering it's a game against one of the best teams the Eastern Conference has to offer on the back end of a back-to-back. However, Rose's absence has the Bulls looking dangerously thin at the point. That's no good when Chef Curry is on the other side cooking up some magic. Chicago will hang around thanks to fireworks from Jimmy Butler, but they'll fade down the stretch.
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