Warriors beat Bulls, improve to 14-0 and close on record

Unfortunately, like common theme in recent years, the Chicago Bulls may possibly not have point guard Derrick Rose playing in this game, with Rose now nursing a sprained left ankle.

No team has won more than 15 consecutive games to start a season, and Golden State’s first loss might be coming any day now.

With a win at Denver on Sunday, the 14-0 Warriors would join the 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols as the only teams in league history to start the season with 15 straight victories.

One night after another all-around effort rallied them from 23 down to beat the Clippers 124-117 in Los Angeles – the NBA’s biggest comeback this season – the Warriors pushed their franchise-record home winning streak to 26. Golden State get 1.3 points per offensive rebound, a number that surpasses its league-leading average of 1.14 points per possession.

The Nuggets can score with the best of them, so expect this game to be a shootout, but the Warriors are playing at a historic pace and will defeat the Nuggets.

Curry again provided the steady hand with 27 points at home Friday against Chicago, but several of his teammates were instrumental during a game-ending 17-5 run that gave the Warriors a 106-94 victory in a tight game that featured 18 lead changes and 17 ties.

Things certainly don’t get any easier against the Warriors, who entered Saturday averaging 12.3 made 3-pointers per game, by far the most in the league. Nikola Mirotic converted three free throws the next time down for an 82-81 Bulls lead.

Draymond Green has a team-high 92 assists on the season.

The Bulls led by 10 in the first before the Warriors roared back and got the sellout crowd at Oracle Arena rocking on Curry’s over-the-head lob pass to Andre Iguodala for a dunk.

The Warriors lost at Denver in their only game there last season during their 67-win campaign, but had some good reasons for a letdown.

“It was a great all-round team win and once again showed what type of character these guys have”, added Walton, who has taken over coaching duties from Steve Kerr while he recovers from back surgeries. “I don’t think it started in the fourth quarter, I really don’t”, Rivers said.

Golden State is favored by eight.

Drummond, who was limited to four points in the first half, scored 15 points in the third quarter alone as the Pistons finished the frame on a 21-11 run, turning a seven-point deficit into a three-point lead heading into the fourth.

“Nobody’s ideal, man”, Butler said of the Bulls’ poor finish. He sat down with two early fouls in the first quarter. “But by the time the game started, he wasn’t with us anymore”. “That was one of our focal points in training camp this year”. As the defending National Basketball Association champs continue to dominate each opponent, the possibility of having an historic season is looking more and more likely.

Included in the crowd: The San Francisco 49ers defensive line before the team travels Saturday to Seattle.