Lee’s late heroics lead Warriors past Bulls for first win
Damion Lee of the Golden State Warriors puts up the game-winning three point shot over Tomas Satoransky of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 27, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The Warriors defeated the Bulls 129-128. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP
Damion Lee buried a straightaway 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining Sunday night to cap a Golden State Warriors rally that produced their first win of the season, a 129-128 thriller over the host Chicago Bulls.
Zach LaVine had a team-high 33 points for the winless Bulls, including 11 fourth-quarter points and a short runner that broke a 126-all tie and gave Chicago a two-point lead with 5.0 seconds left.
But with all eyes on Warriors star Stephen Curry, who had a game-high 36 points, his brother-in-law, Lee, shocked the Bulls with a 25-footer that served as the game-winner for a team coming off consecutive blowout losses at Brooklyn and Milwaukee.
The Warriors trailed 121-112 after a Wendell Carter Jr. hoop with 3:58 to play but outfinished the Bulls thanks mostly to Curry, who hit a jumper, two free throws, a 3-pointer and an interior shot that turned into a three-point play. The latter got Golden State within 126-124 with 46.0 seconds left.
Kevon Looney’s tip-in with 16.9 seconds remaining got the Warriors even, setting up the exciting finish.
Curry’s night included 5-for-15 shooting on 3-pointers. His first success was the 2,500th of his career, allowing him to join Ray Allen and Reggie Miller in that exclusive NBA club.
Lee finished with 12 points, all on 3-pointers, for the Warriors while Andrew Wiggins had 19, Eric Paschall 15 and Jordan Poole 10.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had a team-high 11 rebounds.
LaVine, Lauri Markkanen (23), Carter (22) and Coby White (20) combined for 98 points for the Bulls, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back.
Markkanen, however, could not finish the game after suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
Otto Porter Jr. added 12 points off the bench for Chicago while Carter capped a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds.
The game featured a head-to-head of two of the top four picks in the November draft, and neither player was much of a factor. Golden State’s James Wiseman, the No. 2 selection, logged seven points, and Chicago’s Patrick Williams, taken two slots later, countered with six points.
