Golden State’s NBA Record Streak Without Consecutive Regular Season Losses Ends For the first time in almost two years, the Warriors lost consecutive regular season games after falling 94-87 to the Bulls on Thursday night.
Golden State missed all 11 of their three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, as Chicago ran away with it in the final minutes. Stephen Curry led the Dubs with 23 points, while Draymond Green added 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
With the defeat, Golden State drops to 50-11 on the season.
The two teams scuffled from the start, with neither side shooting above 40 percent from the field in the opening quarter. It remained a one-possession game until Andre Iguodala converted the second of back-to-back scores to give the Warriors a 22-17 lead with 2:10 remaining in the first frame.
Golden State would expand on that lead slightly through the remainder of the quarter and hold a 26-19 advantage heading into the second. Newly signed Matt Barnes checked into the game at the 8:03 mark of the second frame and made an impact right away, scoring 13 seconds later to give the Dubs their first double-digit lead of the night at 34-24.
The Bulls would respond immediately and come within a single basket on four separate occasions through the remainder of the quarter, but Golden State would never relinquish the lead entirely through the rest of the opening half. Jimmy Butler sank two free throws with 48 seconds remaining to send the game into halftime with the Warriors up 51-47.
The two sides would trade baskets to begin the second half until Jerami Grant followed two more Butler free throws with a three-pointer to give Chicago their first lead since the middle of the first quarter at 59-58.
Draymond Green retook the lead with a runner at the 6:56 mark, and Curry knocked down the 2,581st three-pointer of his career 28 seconds later to move past Kobe Bryant for 11th on the all-time list.
Golden State would be doubled up through the remainder of the quarter, however, as the Bulls would go on a run to take a 79-73 lead heading into the fourth and final frame. Slowly but surely, the Warriors climbed back into the game behind their defense.
They held Chicago scoreless for a period of nearly four-and-a-half minutes, over the course of which they’d go on a 6-0 run to retake an 85-84 lead on David West’s lay-in with 5:43 remaining in the game.
West’s bucket would prove to be Golden State’s only points over the ensuing 4:47, which proved to be their undoing.
The Bulls went on a 7-0 burst over that period to jump back in front, and the Warriors were never able to recover.
The loss drops Golden State to 50-11 on the season and snaps their NBA record streak of 146 consecutive regular season games without back-to-back defeats. They’ll look to get back on track on Saturday when they play the Knicks in New York.
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