A sigh of relief washed over Steph Curry at the end of the Warriors 129-128 win over the Chicago Bulls. After starting 0-2 against the high powered Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State notched their first win of the season on a buzzer-beater from Damion Lee.
The story of the first two games for Golden State was their ultimate inability to shoot a three-point shot from any spot on the floor. Even on Sunday night, a 5-for-15 shooting performance from Curry is not the typical three-point land output that Steve Kerr is used to from his star guard.
Stephen Curry Responds
After averaging 19.5 points in the first two games, Curry responded with a 36-point masterpiece against a young and hungry Chicago team. Curry found his handles again and excelled finishing inside against the inexperienced Chicago frontcourt. Add two rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks to the stat line and Curry found a way to lead Golden State to victory even with Draymond Green still out of the lineup.
A bit for the record book, Steph Curry became the third player in NBA history to make 2,500 career threes. Curry joins Ray Allen and Reggie Miller as the only members of that club.
61 straight makes (and counting).@StephenCurry30 has passed Rick Barry for most consecutive made free throws in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/fD4RYHSJpw
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 28, 2020
For another bit of history, Curry is still very good at making free throws.
Chicago’s Stars
For Chicago, Zach LaVine continues to elevate his game. Lavine matched Curry shot for shot, and almost emulated his exact stat line. With 33 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks, Lavine did everything needed to keep pace with Curry and the Warriors.
Although he had the lowest point total of any starter, rookie Patrick Williams continued to impress in all areas of his game. Williams provided six points, four rebounds, two assists, and three blocks. While Billy Donovan continues to involve Williams in the offense, his impact on the defensive end for the Bulls is clear.
Tough Beginning
The Warriors continue to struggle with their three-point shooting, especially from their new wings. Kelly Oubre shot 3-for-16 from the field and was 0-for-6 from downtown in another terrible shooting effort.
“Kelly’s shooting struggles right now really aren’t that surprising,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Given the difficulty adjusting to the Warriors system, Kerr explained that Oubre and Wiggins will improve as the year progresses and there should not be any worry as of now.
Late in the game, Curry and Lavine dueled for the lead,
Stephen Curry. BUCKET.
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/55SHon1Bc6
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 28, 2020
ZACH LAVINE. CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/Ox9BqTvy0q
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) December 28, 2020
But ultimately, it was Damion Lee who sealed the deal for Golden State.
DAMION LEE WINS IT FOR THE WARRIORS 😱 pic.twitter.com/X5SCfKcuCg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 28, 2020
Golden State will play the Detroit Pistons next on December 29th and the Bulls will regroup before facing the new-look Washington Wizards on the 29th.
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
