Golden State @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2017 ) Chicago 94, Golden State 143

The Chicago Bulls are no longer the same team that went out to Golden State and was crushed 143-94 on Nov. 24, and their confidence is growing with each win. The Bulls will try to push their latest winning streak to four in a row and get some revenge when they host the Warriors on Wednesday.

That Nov. 24 drubbing was part of a 3-20 start for Chicago, which since turned things around by going 14-7 over the last 21 contests and is coming off a 119-111 win on Monday over the Miami Heat, who had a seven-game winning streak come to an end. The Bulls are managing to keep winning while adding a big piece to their rotation in guard Zach LaVine, who made his team debut on Saturday after recovering from knee surgery. The Warriors are riding their own three-game winning streak and are coming off a 118-108 win at Cleveland on Monday that stretched their road winning streak to 13 straight. Golden State can match the franchise record of 14 straight road wins set in 2014-15 and its NBA-best 36-9 record includes victories in 20 of 23 games away from the Bay Area.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), WGN (Chicago)

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (36-9): Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 72 points and Draymond Green came within one assist of recording a triple-double on Monday, but it was the play of the bench that was the difference. The reserves were a major factor in a strong start to the final quarter that propelled Golden State to the win and six different bench players logged at least seven minutes. "It's amazing," Durant told reporters in reference to the reserves. "That's just what happens when you have culture, and when our coach empowers everybody on the team."

ABOUT THE BULLS (17-27): Chicago added LaVine to a team that is coming together at the offensive end, and he poured in 18 points in 20 minutes in Monday's win. Former Warrior Justin Holiday knocked down a career-high seven 3-pointers and is 12-of-18 from beyond the arc in the last three games. "The thing we're chasing is we're trying to continue to grow and get better," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. "Our guys continue to give great effort. That's all we talk about. We're not talking about what's at stake. We're talking about playing hard and unselfishly and trying to guard. Our guys have been pretty solid with that, with the exception of guarding."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Durant is averaging 30.8 points on 62.5 percent shooting over the last four games.

2. Bulls rookie F Lauri Markkanen became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 100 made 3-pointers when he did it in his 41st game on Monday.

3. Chicago beat Golden State 94-87 at home last season while holding Curry and Thompson to a combined 3-of-22 from 3-point range.

PREDICTION: Warriors 128, Bulls 113