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| Matchup |
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13-0 (7-0 HOME) |
vs | 8-3 (3-2 ROAD) |
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| Details |
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November 20, 2015 |
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| Oracle Arena — Oakland, CA |
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| 7:30 p.m. |
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| National: ESPN| Local: CSN Bay Area | KNBR 680 AM | ||||||||
| Blog Buddy: Blog A Bull | ||||||||
| Projected Starters | ||||||||
| Stephen Curry | G | Derrick Rose |
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| Klay Thompson | G | Tony Snell | ||||||
| Harrison Barnes | F | Jimmy Butler | ||||||
| Draymond Green | F | Nikola Mirotic | ||||||
| Andrew Bogut | C | Pau Gasol | ||||||
| Key Injuries | ||||||||
| Shaun Livingston (Hip Flexor) - Questionable Kevon Looney (Hip) - Out |
Derrick Rose (Ankle) - Questionable |
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The Warriors... well they just won't lose will they. Playing at a playoff level even in November, this team just can't be stopped. The thing about the Clippers game was that it showed maturity. They were giving the game to the Clippers for most of the night, even handing the Clippers a run after getting within a basket in the fourth. But, as Steph said after the game, "This team always plays with confidence, no matter how bad we are playing." Thursday night showed contributions from across the board, which is what the Warriors are going to need all season. Iguodala, Green, Klay continuing to wake out of his slump - when this team is running on all cylinders, how can you beat them?
They face a tough scheduling hiccup on Friday, having to jump on the late night flight back home to then come back and face a tough team out of the East. The starters played heavy minutes against the Clippers too, which doesn't bode well for this coming Friday night match up. But they have been there before, and they have shown they have another gear they can reach. Let's see what they can bring back to the table.
The Bulls are coming to Oakland with the gift of the schedule. They catch the Warriors on the back end of a tough back-to-back coming back from LA, and are sitting on a days rest on their way from Phoenix. The real value of this extra day off - they give Derrick Rose an extra day to get healthy to get back on the floor. Rose is not quite at 100% on the court even if he isn't working on his bum ankle. He has been dealing with double vision all season, but to his team's credit the Bulls are use to playing without their captain. Fred Hoiberg has the Bulls inspired ball, anchored by Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic. When healthy they feature five players who score in double figures, lead by Butler on his way to another all-star season. These Bulls sit in the middle of the pack in most categories, even ending up in the bottom half in team offense. But their character has always been in the small things - and have found ways to beat teams in the early season.
The Warriors get frustrated by physical teams that force them out of their comfort zone and don't allow them to run and stay in rhythm. The Bulls will hit the brakes wherever they can and fill the passing lanes, and the Warriors simply cannot keep turing the ball over like they have been in recent games. These two teams match up so well, it will come down to who pushes their will on the game to set the tone.
Predictions:
• I believe Rose will play, and we will have a game not unlike the Bulls trip to Oracle last season. Easy to forget, but the Bulls are the team that last beat the Warriors in a regular season game at home. Let that one sink in... and it took some heroics on both sides for the Bulls to pull that one out.
• It won't be a high scoring game, simply because the Bulls are that good at stopping you in your tracks. If the Warriors stay away from one-on-one iso and run their offense, they should be able to score enough points to overcome whatever the Bulls bring to the table.
• I am excited to see the Bulls young players - it looks like Doug McDermott is getting plenty of playing time this year, and brings an outside threat that can be dangerous against the Warrior's second unit. Hopefully Livingston will be back on the court to help with that unit, and give the starters a bit more time to rest.
• If the Warriors come back and take care of the Bulls at home... they then face the Nuggets in Denver after a day off. Could that be for the 15 and the record?
• I've got the Bulls putting up a fight, but the Warriors taking this one by a comfy margin because they are just that damn good 92-79.
(Follow me on twiter @badiehard)