Curry takes ball to the noggin after savage swat by Bulls’ rookie
After defeating the Charlotte Hornets on December 8th, something clicked for the Chicago Bulls and they’ve been in a groove ever since. With a 14-8 record over that span, The Bulls have transformed themselves from the laughing stock of the NBA to surprisingly worthy adversaries.
On paper, they shouldn’t have stood a chance to beat the Golden State Warriors, but miraculously, Chicago stepped up to the plate and brought the fight to the defending champs. The Bulls lost at home, 119-112, but they didn’t roll on their backs and hand the victory away so easily.
Although Steph Curry and Klay Thompson lit up the young team for a combined 68 points, the Bulls answered with a collective team effort that saw six players score in double figures. Nikola Mirotic led the way for The Windy City with 24 points, six rebounds and three steals, though his effort wasn’t quite enough to carry his team to victory.
While rookie Lauri Markkanen was uncharacteristically cold from beyond the arc, his uncharacteristically good defense on Steph curry resulted in the night’s best and most hilarious defensive sequence. Markkanen may have started the first quarter with a few laughs after his block bounced off Curry’s head and out of bounds, but the Warriors had the last laugh as they walked away with the win.
One play that left no one chuckling was the scary fall that caused Bulls’ point guard Kris Dunn to dislocate his front teeth and chip several others. Dunn fell hard to the floor after an awkward dismount from the rim on a breakaway dunk and was removed from the game immediately following his injury.
The defensive minded floor general was in the midst of a comeback season after a paltry performance in his freshman campaign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kris Dunn was a legitimate Most Improved Player of the Year Award candidate, and should continue to prove his worth following a lengthy concussion protocol in accordance with the NBA’s concussion policy.
