3. Curry Drops Double-Double in the United Center (Jan 20. 2016)
The Derrick Rose story is one of many would’ve, could’ve and should’ves. As a springy point guard, Rose’s game was primarily reliant on athleticism. His injuries hampered his athleticism, making his career one of the biggest “What Ifs.”
Prior to the 2015 season, Rose was still considered an elite guard, and Curry was considered an up-and-coming guard, possibly a quick “15 minutes of fame” player. Both players’ narratives shifted in 2015, though, as Curry dragged the Warriors to championship while Rose ended the season on the sidelines. The point guard hierarchy change was solidified in 2016.
The Warriors were coming off of a 34-point win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving LeBron James one of his worst regular-season losses at the time. The momentum gained from that performance carried over to their matchup against Rose and the Bulls.
The Bulls hopped out on the Warriors and Rose took Curry off the dribble any chance he got. Butler and Gasol were just as good, disrupting the Warriors’ split action on the defensive end.
But the Bulls’ success against the Warriors lasted for all of a quarter. Curry unleashed his patent Curry Flurry in the second quarter opening the game up, and did it by scoring and running the team’s offense, dishing out 11 of the teams 38 assists.
The worst blow for Bulls fans in this game was knowing the Warriors were eyeing the Bulls’ 72-10 record. The Warriors were the first team to have a realistic shot at dethroning the ’96 Bulls as the best regular season team in league history. To further solidify that possibility in the Bulls’ home was borderline disrespectful.