The Warriors came away with a 119-111 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday at Chase Center, but the game was much closer than the eight-point difference shows, especially late in the game.
Chicago was down double digits entering the fourth quarter, but the Bulls mounted a comeback with Goran Dragić leading the way offensively with 10 points in the final 12 minutes alone.
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However, just as the Bulls were on the verge of taking the lead with a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Draymond Green came to the rescue, another way he's provided leadership during the Warriors' tough start to the 2022-23 NBA season.
With the score 110-109, Green hit a 3-pointer with Bulls star DeMar DeRozan contesting to give the Warriors some breathing room.
"Yeah, so that was a shot of the game," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters postgame. "I mean, they were the aggressor of the whole fourth and we were not playing well.
"We had nothing going on that possession. So that was the shot of the game."
The Bulls outscored the Warriors 29-23 in the last 12 minutes of the game, putting Chicago within striking distance, but the Green shot proved to swing the momentum to Golden State's way.
"He's been shooting in terms of when he's open, shooting with confidence," Steph Curry told reporters after the win. "And that was a big shot considering how the game was flowing down the stretch. We needed it.
Golden State Warriors
"Everything he was doing on the defensive end was Draymond-esque. But it was unbelievable and to turn it into some offensive success for us and a big shot, it was huge. We want to see more of it because he's capable."
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Green and the Warriors will attempt to carry this momentum against the Houston Rockets on Saturday at Chase Center.