Young Warriors Step Up, Route Struggling Bulls in Chicago 123-91
There is a specific kind of silence that falls over the United Center when the home team isn’t just losing, but spiraling. The Warriors had the Bulls fans going through it this game. It’s a mix of resignation and frustration, a feeling that hovered over the hardwood Sunday night as the Golden State Warriors dismantled the Chicago Bulls, 123-91.
For the Bulls, it was a seventh consecutive loss, another grim milestone in a season defined by a crowded injury report and inconsistent play. But for Golden State, a team dealing with its own significant absences—including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green—Sunday wasn’t about who was missing. It was a loud, emphatic statement about who was present.
Without the safety net of their future Hall of Famers, the Warriors turned to their youth and their depth, and the results were clinical.
Podziemski Orchestrates the Offense
In the absence of Curry’s gravity-defying shooting, the spotlight shifted to Brandin Podziemski. The guard didn’t just fill the void; he commanded the floor. Podziemski finished with a team-high 21 points, adding eight rebounds and seven assists in a performance that felt mature beyond his years.
He controlled the pace, finding shooters in rhythm and attacking the rim when the Bulls’ defense collapsed. It was his efficiency that stood out most—shooting 7-of-13 from the field and draining five three-pointers. When the Warriors needed a bucket to quell a brief Chicago run in the third quarter, it was Podziemski who calmed the waters.
He wasn’t alone. The Warriors saw five players score in double figures, displaying the kind of “Strength in Numbers” ethos that Steve Kerr has preached for a decade. Sophomore big man Quinten Post was a revelation, stretching the floor with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from deep. His ability to pop out to the three-point line pulled Nikola Vucevic away from the basket, opening driving lanes that Golden State exploited all night.
Jimmy Butler III Brings the Grunt
Perhaps the most stabilizing force for this iteration of the Warriors was Jimmy Butler III. In a return to his old stomping grounds in Chicago, Butler played with the kind of jagged edge that has defined his career. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, but his impact went far beyond the box score.
Butler was a massive plus-29 in 28 minutes. He bullied smaller defenders, got to the free-throw line 10 times, and provided the defensive communication that is usually Draymond Green’s domain. With the Warriors clinging to a record above .500 (now 13-12) while waiting for their stars to heal, Butler’s veteran presence is the glue holding the rotation together.
Bulls Searching for Answers
On the other side, the mood was somber. The Bulls (9-14) are a team searching for an identity while their roster is decimated by injuries. Missing key rotation pieces like Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams for stretches of the season has hurt, but the lack of defensive cohesion on Sunday was glaring.
Josh Giddey tried to spark the offense, tallying 18 points and five assists, and sophomore Matas Buzelis showed flashes of brilliance with 16 points. But Chicago had no answer for Golden State’s perimeter shooting. The Bulls allowed the Warriors to shoot nearly 47% from three-point range, a recipe for disaster in today’s NBA.
“We got a chance to change the narrative right now,” Coby White said before the game, referencing the team’s adversity.
Sunday night, however, it felt like the rope was slipping. The Bulls hung around for a half, trailing by only nine at the break, but a 36-15 fourth-quarter explosion by Golden State turned a competitive game into a rout.
Pat Spencer and the Bench Mob
One of the feel-good stories of the night was the play of Pat Spencer. Getting the start for Golden State, Spencer looked completely at home, scoring 12 points and dishing out six assists. His chemistry with the second unit kept the offense humming when Podziemski sat.
The Warriors’ bench, featuring spark plugs like De’Anthony Melton (13 points) and Moses Moody (11 points), outworked Chicago’s reserves. They pushed the pace, forcing 15 turnovers and converting them into easy transition points.
Looking Ahead
The win pushes the Warriors to 13-12, a crucial buffer as they navigate a tricky December schedule. They proved Sunday that their system works, even when the faces changing it are different. For Chicago, the questions are getting louder, and the answers are becoming harder to find.
Golden State heads home with momentum, having weathered the storm of injuries by trusting its development pipeline. The Bulls, meanwhile, stay home, left to figure out how to stop the bleeding before the season slips away entirely.
