Golden State Warriors return home to greet struggling but capable Chicago Bulls

After a disappointing but somewhat promising 116-113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors return home for a three-game homestand. With a record of 9-1 at the palace Stephen Curry built, Chase Center has become a destination visiting teams would prefer to avoid.

The Golden State Warriors will play eight home games in December, starting with the Chicago Bulls and including a Christmas Day matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.

After splitting two road games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Mavericks, the Warriors concluded November with a .500 record at 11-11. Still struggling to close out games on the road, Golden State are showing signs of turning that around soon. An off-night for Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, plus some costly turnovers, ultimately prevented the Dubs from a near-perfect road-trip.

Starting the first quarter without the intensity from their stop in Minnesota, the Warriors quickly fell behind. Trailing by as many as 17 points in the first period, Draymond Green and Poole helped guide the second unit as Golden State quickly turned the game on its head during the second-quarter.

The game remained competitive through the third, with the visitors trailing by five points to begin the fourth-quarter. In what threatened to be a game-decisive sequence, the Dubs’ defense strung together five consecutive stops and Spencer Dinwiddie was ejected for a flagrant two foul on Poole. It meant the Warriors took a 100-96 lead after trailing Dallas from the opening tip.

With a couple of untimely Golden State turnovers and poor shot selection, the Luka Doncic-led Mavericks’ regained control to end their four-game losing streak. The Warriors’ attention now turns to the beginning of December and hosting the Chicago Bulls, with the the team attempting to improve on their imposing home record.

The Bulls have struggled to open the season but certainly hold the firepower to make things difficult for the Warriors. Chicago are 9-12 and floundering at 12th in the Eastern Conference, largely down to holding just the 22nd best offense in the league.

Still, the dynamic duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine are each capable of posting 25-30+ points and leading the Bulls to victory. Nikola Vucevic will also give the Warriors a different look defensively with his ability to stretch the floor. The Golden State bench will again face a test with Chicago’s respective unit holding the fifth best net rating in the league.

During the three-game home stand, which also includes matchups with the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers, the Warriors will be attempting to send a continued message that Chase Center isn’t a place you want to visit.