Getty Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan is defended by Andrew Wiggins during a game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Chicago Bulls made history on Friday night but not the kind that anyone actually wants to be attached to. By getting thoroughly shellacked by the Warriors on the heels of their blowout loss to the Nets, the Bulls became the first-ever conference-leading team to lose back-to-back games by an average of 30 points, per ESPN.
And that wasn’t even the worst thing that happened.
En route to the 138-96 loss, All-Star guard Zach LaVine made a first-quarter exit after incurring a left knee injury. No significant damage was found on his MRI, but he’ll definitely miss at least some time as a result of the incident.
In any case, the combination of LaVine’s injury and consecutive embarrassing performances against elite competition may just represent the low point of the Bulls season to date. For his part, though, MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan thinks his team can learn a lot from the experience.
DeRozan: It’s ‘All the Motivation We Need’
Obviously, what the Bulls have experienced over the last week stands in stark contrast to how the rest of the campaign has played out. When asked about that difference after the loss, DeRozan looked to be searching for positives amid the downturn.
“I mean, it’s definitely a learning experience for us all,” he said post-game. “On what just to expect… Going out there, [the Bulls’] compete level’s got to be high every time we step out onto the court… Now it’s about how we respond. Going on the road tonight, playing Boston tomorrow in a hostile environment — we’re going to see what we’re made of.”
Regarding LaVine’s injury, DeRozan opined that Chicago’s recent struggles may be all the fuel that’s necessary for the club to power through.
“These two games should be all the motivation that we need to step up, play hard, play for one another,” DeRozan added. “It’s just another challenge that we gotta face. We can’t complain about it, we can’t whine about it, can’t look for no extra help. It’s on us.”
Curry Picks His Warriors Over the ’96 Bulls
Comparing players and teams from different eras can be a tricky proposition, but the Bulls of yore nonetheless find themselves subjected to such debates on a regular basis. For his part, Stephen Curry had no problem pitting himself and his Warriors against Chicago’s legendary 1996 championship team.
Of course, that’s the Michael Jordan-led club that went 72-10 during the regular season (a record that was later broken by the 2016 Warriors) and went on to beat the Seattle SuperSonics in six games during the NBA Finals.
As part of a GQ undercover video, Curry answered a question about a hypothetical, seven-game matchup between his Warriors (with Kevin Durant still in the fold) and that legendary ’96 Bulls squad. His response left little doubt about his feelings on who would come out on top.
“Absolutely,” he said about whether the Warriors would win. “Obviously we will never know, but you put us on paper with them, I like our chances. I’d say Dubs in 6, too.”
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