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The Chicago Bulls suffer third-quarter meltdown, lose to the Golden State Warriors

The Bulls scored just 20 points in a disastrous third period.

Nick Raguz

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Bulls squandered a 13-point halftime deficit and lost to the visiting Golden State Warriors, 131-140, on Friday night. The Bulls looked sharp in the first half and seemed headed to scoring a fourth-straight win when they posted a 75-62 lead at the half.

Chicago’s strong first-half showing was highlighted by a 45-point explosion in the second period that enabled them to achieve its highest first-half scoring in the season.

Third-quarter collapse

The table was turned in the third period when the Bulls suddenly struggled to put up points. Chicago went on to score just 20 points in the third, while allowing Golden State to 48. From up by 13 at halftime, the Bulls suddenly found themselves down by 15 entering the payoff period, 95-110.

The Bulls tried to rally in the fourth as Coby White’s layup shoved them within 124-128 with 2:57 left. That proved to be the closest the Bulls could get as the Warriors answered with a 7-2 run to stretch their lead to 135-126 with only 1:26 left.

DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 39 points, while Zach LaVine and White added 25 points each. Nikola Vucevic chipped in 14 for the Bulls, who dropped to 18-22.

Big win by the undermanned Warriors

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30 points, while Stephen Curry added 27 markers. Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to 24 points for the Warriors, who improved to 18-20.

The Warriors won despite not having Moses Moody (calf strain), Chris Paul (hand fracture), Gary Payton II (hamstring), and Draymond Green (conditioning). The loss spoiled the Bulls’ recognition of 13 franchise luminaries as well as the 1995-96 championship team during a Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime.

The report cautions the Chicago Bulls against forcing a Zach LaVine trade

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Nick Raguz
NICK RAGUZ

Nick's journey has been an exciting fusion of basketball and the written word. A former basketball player himself, he possesses an insatiable appetite for all things NBA-related, spanning from the captivating tales of old-school NBA to intriguing statistics and the latest updates from the association.

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