Bulls vs. Warriors: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season

The Chicago Bulls (26-27) would have had a hard enough time beating the Golden State Warriors (44-8) on Wednesday night even with Dwyane Wade (illness) and Jimmy Butler (heel) in the starting lineup. 

Without them, they didn't stand a chance. 

Matched up against a Warriors team that was determined to get back in the win column following an overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Bulls were bested by the defending Western Conference champs 123-92 at Oracle Arena. 

Speaking of making amends for Saturday's loss to the Kings, Kevin Durant looked far more aggressive after he fell flat to the tune of 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting versus Sacramento. 

In 29 minutes Wednesday night, Durant finished with 22 points (9-of-16 shooting)—including 13 in the first half—10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. 

Durant's attacking approach was summed up nicely by a vicious third-quarter dunk in semi-transition after he sliced through Chicago's defense, as the NBA documented on Twitter:

Draymond Green was similarly dialed in. Over 32 minutes, the Warriors' human Swiss Army knife piled up 19 points, eight boards and six dimes. He also provided an emphatic slam of his own, via the NBA on Twitter: 

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson added 13 and 28 points, respectively, and JaVale McGee registered an efficient 13 points (6-of-10 shooting) as all five Warriors starters finished in double figures for just the fourth time this season, per the team's public relations department.   

But considering the Bulls were down three wings in Wade, Butler and Paul Zipser—who was ruled out in the first half with a left ankle injury, according to the team's Twitter account—they actually acquitted themselves somewhat nicely. 

Although they trailed by 14 points at halftime and were clearly overmatched from start to finish, the Bulls did an impressive job of defending Curry. Over the game's first 24 minutes, the reigning MVP scraped together seven points on 2-of-7 shooting due, in part, to the Bulls' defensive scheme, as NBA scribe Nate Duncan observed: 

Taj Gibson (15 points) and Robin Lopez (17 points) did an admirable job of trying to keep Chicago afloat on the other end, but their contributions weren't enough. 

The Warriors were simply too lethal and too balanced, and that much was clear when Thompson shot 6-of-9 from beyond the arc while the Bulls knocked down four threes as a team. 

For The Athletic's Sean Highkin, it was all about silver linings for the Bulls: 

"

The Bulls were never going to win this game but they didn’t get embarrassed.

— Sean Highkin (@highkin) February 9, 2017"

Now 2-2 on their road trip, the Bulls will attempt to close things out with a pair of wins against the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves before they return to United Center on Tuesday for a showdown with the Toronto Raptors.  

Then there are the Warriors, who have a daunting back-to-back on deck. The front end will take place at FedEx Forum on Friday when they clash with the Memphis Grizzlies, but it's the back end of that grueling two-night trip that will draw the most attention.

On Saturday, Durant is slated to make his highly anticipated return to Chesapeake Energy Arena when the Warriors square off against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in a prime-time showdown on ABC. 

Postgame Reaction

After the win, Durant talked to CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill about the Warriors' determination to put the Sacramento loss behind them: 

"I’m glad I went through that little stretch (in Sac) to kind of help me out tonight," Durant added, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Connor Letourneau. 

At the post-game podium, head coach Steve Kerr sounded pleased with the way Durant and Draymond got back in a groove, as the Bay Area News Group's Jimmy Durkin documented: 

Looking ahead, Curry noted the Warriors need to bring a more complete effort against a Grizzlies tema that has frustrated them twice this year, per 95.7 The Game on Twitter: 

As for injuries, Kerr told reporters he "doubts" Zaza Pachulia and David West will return for the Warriors' upcoming road trip, per Sporting News' Danny Leroux. 

On the Chicago injury front, Zipser said his ankle injury isn't serious and is not a sprain, according to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. 

Finally, Butler explained why he didn't try to suit up. 

"I don't want to be able to go out there and play like 10 minutes and be like, 'I can’t move,'" he said, per Johnson. "I want to go out there and be the player I can be on both ends of the floor. My coaches, my teammates understand that. When I go out there I want to play. There ain't gonna be no restrictions."