Keys to Chicago Bulls’ road game vs. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors beat the Bulls 138-96 in their last meeting on January 14.

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls (9-12) visit the Golden State Warriors (11-11) tonight, looking to bounce back after a 132-113 road loss against the Suns on Wednesday. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 29 points and seven rebounds, and Zach LaVine added 21 points and seven assists.

Lonzo Ball is still out with a left knee injury as the Bulls look to avoid their second straight loss.

Chicago Bulls (9-11) vs. Golden State Warriors (11-11)

Friday, December 2 – 10:00 PM ET at Chase Center

Chicago Bulls

• Points Per Game: 112 (17th of 30)
• Opponent Points Per Game: 112.7 (13th of 30)
• Bench Points Per Game: 32.7 (20th of 30)
• Pace: 100.1 (9th of 30)
• Offensive Rating: 111.4 (21st of 30)
• Defensive Rating: 112.1 (11th of 30)
• Net Rating: -0.7 (17th of 30)

Golden State Warriors

• Points Per Game: 117.5 (3rd of 30)
• Opponent Points Per Game: 117.2 (27th of 30)
• Bench Points Per Game: 35.6 (11th of 30)
• Pace: 102.7 (1st of 30)
• Offensive Rating: 113.9 (8th of 30)
• Defensive Rating: 113.6 (21st of 30)
• Net Rating: +0.3 (15th of 30)

Contain Jordan Poole

The Warriors sit 8th in the Western Conference with an 11-11 record. It feels like this team has a championship hangover, as they are yet to find consistency a quarter into the season.

Losing key reserves like Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, Nemanja Bjelica, and Juan Toscano-Anderson hurt the Warriors' depth, but their bench, led by Jordan Poole, still ranks 11th in the league with 35.6 points per game.

Stephen Curry has played like an MVP all season long, with fellow Warriors starters Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney still struggling with consistency.

The aforementioned 6th Man of The Year candidate, who signed a four-year, $140 million extension in the offseason, has struggled with this shot at times, but he’s finding his groove offensively, taking less rushed shots and getting more to the rim. Poole is the X-factor for the Warriors, and if the Bulls contain him, they have a great shot at winning this game.

Force turnovers and take care of the ball

Turnovers have been an area of concern for the Warriors. Golden State averages 17.1 turnovers per game, second-most in the league behind Houston (18). The Warriors force 15.3 turnovers per game (14th-most in the NBA), which doesn’t compensate for how bad they've been at taking care of the ball.

The Warriors have 377 total turnovers, just one fewer than the Rockets and the same number as the Jazz, which is concerning. The Bulls, on the other hand, do a better job taking care of the ball, and they’re an elite team when it comes to forcing turnovers. They turn the ball over 14.6 times per game (17th in the NBA) and rank fifth in the league, forcing 16 turnovers per game. 

If they can do the same thing tonight, the Bulls' have a chance to secure their 10th win of the season.

Noteworthy

• The Warriors won the last meeting, 138-96 on January 14. Coby White led the Bulls with 20 points.
• The Bulls are 0-10 in the last 10 matchups against the Warriors.

• Bulls’ projected lineup: Vucevic, Williams, DeRozan, LaVine, Dosunmu

• Warriors’ projected lineup: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, Looney

• Injury Report: Lonzo Ball is out for the Bulls with a left knee injury

• No injured players for the Warriors