CHICAGO – Golden State coach Steve Kerr was glad to rediscover his team’s “competitive spirit” on Jan 12, as stars Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry shook off slow starts to power the Warriors to a much-needed 140-131 National Basketball Association (NBA) victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Coming off two blowout losses to cap a 2-5 homestand, the Warriors got off to another ugly start in Chicago. Trailing 62-75 at half-time, Golden State then turned it around with 48 points in the third quarter.
Thompson connected on five-of-five from three-point range on the way to 17 points in the period, the shooting guard’s highest-scoring quarter of the season.
“I think we got off track emotionally, spiritually, the last couple games,” Kerr said.
“Our fans could feel it. We got booed for the first time since I’ve been here and, as I said, both nights (133-118 loss to Toronto Raptors and 141-105 defeat by New Orleans Pelicans) we deserved it because our energy and our competitive spirit was not there.
“We found that again tonight.”
Golden State led by 15 going into the fourth, but the Bulls cut the deficit to four with less than three minutes to play before the Warriors pulled away again.
Thompson finished with 30 points and six assists and Curry added 27 points despite another tough shooting night that saw him make just eight of 24 shots from the field.
“Klay was brilliant,” Kerr added. “When he keeps it simple like that and just shoots when he’s open and keeps moving the ball, that’s when he’s at his best.”
Curry added nine assists and Jonathan Kuminga had 24 points off the bench for the Warriors (18-20), who had just five turnovers and withstood a 39-point performance from Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan.
In San Antonio, rookie star Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the Spurs’ 135-99 rout of the Charlotte Hornets.
In less than 20 minutes on the floor, the French prodigy connected on nine of 14 shots – including a pair of alley-oop dunks and a one-handed jam to start the second half.
The Spurs spoilt the return from a 20-game injury absence of Hornets star LaMelo Ball, who had 28 points, five assists and five steals in his first game since November.
San Antonio have faced criticism for not giving the ball to Wembanyama more often, but the player himself disagreed.
“Of course, I heard of (the criticism), but it’s never been close to reality,” he said. “It’s nothing to worry about. I’m not a conventional player.
“I needed time to figure out how I want to play and how I need to play for the team. I guess everyone needed time to figure out how to play with me.”
Elsewhere, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic notched his 12th triple-double of the season, scoring 27 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead reigning champions Denver Nuggets to a 125-113 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
In Philadelphia, Tobias Harris scored 37 points and Tyrese Maxey added 21 to lead the 76ers to a 112-93 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Sixers had lost three straight, including two with NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid absent with left knee soreness that again saw him sidelined.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 21 points, but the Sixers turned 17 Kings turnovers into 29 points and never trailed after the opening minutes.
Minnesota centre Rudy Gobert returned from a one-game injury absence to score 24 points and grab 17 rebounds in the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves’ comfortable 116-93 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Los Angeles Clippers stayed hot, beating the Grizzlies 128-119 in Memphis behind a season-high 37 points from Paul George.
Kawhi Leonard added 22 points for the Clippers (25-13), who have won eight of their last nine games. AFP
