Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) looks for an open teammate during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry’s troublesome right ankle buckled again, and that hurt as much as anything for the Golden State Warriors in yet another late-game defeat.
Coach Steve Kerr didn’t have an immediate postgame update on the two-time MVP’s status other than his foot was being treated in a bucket of ice.
DeMar DeRozan converted a three-point play with 26 seconds left after hitting a key jumper at the 43-second mark on his way to 33 points, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Warriors 125-122 in the NBA on Thursday night after Curry limped off and went to the locker room in the closing minutes.
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DEEBO TOUGH AND-ONE.@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/vEMdHuKsMc
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 8, 2024
“DeMar made the and-one, I thought that was the key shot in the closing few minutes,” Kerr said. “… DeMar is one of the great closers in the game and he has been for 10 years.”
Klay Thompson put the Warriors ahead on a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left before DeRozan delivered again in Chicago’s third straight victory.
Curry exited with 3:51 to play having scored 15 points, while Thompson finished with 25 points.
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Nikola Vucevic had 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for Chicago, hitting a tying 3-pointer with 2:49 remaining. The Bulls won for the fourth time in five games and snapped an eight-game losing streak on Golden State’s home floor with their first win in the Bay Area since a 113-111 overtime victory on Jan. 27, 2015.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry limps off the court during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 points for Golden State his 40th double-digit performance in the last 42 games, while Draymond Green fouled out with 58 seconds left having recorded a triple-double of 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as both teams played the second night of back-to-backs.
Chris Paul’s jumper with 9:09 to play pulled the Warriors to 100-97 and Thompson hit a jumper to get Golden State to 105-104 with 6:47 left. Following a Bulls’ timeout, DeRozan answered.
The Warriors looked a bit spent a night after outscoring the Bucks 32-9 in the fourth quarter and dishing out 37 assists.
Curry began 1 for 7, missing four of his initial five 3-point tries, to score just five points by halftime as Golden State trailed 63-59 at the break. He connected from deep with 9:35 left in the third.
Chicago coach Billy Donovan said before the game that Bulls assistant Chris Fleming won’t face discipline from the league after he made contact with John Collins in the final seconds of a 119-117 win at Utah on Wednesday night. The Bulls were in communication with the league office, and Donovan said there was no indication Fleming would face a fine or suspension.
The altercation involving Fleming nearly cost Chicago the game. DeRozan was double-teamed and fouled with 9.3 seconds remaining when things became heated. Fleming appeared to try to hold Collins back and pushed him away, and Collins came at the coach.
NEXT NBA SCHEDULE
Bulls: At Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
Warriors: Host San Antonio on Saturday night.