Warriors fading in quest for 73
Bulls guard Justin Holiday didn't even realize the predicament he was in.
Holiday played for the Golden State Warriors last season. He didn't log much court time in the playoffs, but he earned an NBA championship ring. He hasn't collected it yet, but the ring will be in his possession soon enough.
But when it comes to his old buddies setting an NBA record with 73 victories in a season, Holiday needs to be careful. The 1995-96 Bulls still are very popular in Chicago and it's their record at stake.
“I didn't really think about that. I just enjoy basketball,” Holiday said after the current Bulls beat Milwaukee on Sunday.
A reporter suggested the Warriors are his friends. Why shouldn't he be pulling for them?
“I'm here now, too. These are my guys here now.” Holiday said. “I never really thought about it. If they get it, they get it; if they don't, they don't. I don't really worry about that too much.”
Holiday did a nice job of being politically correct on the fly. Like everyone else, he can just sit back and watch what happens.
Reaching 73 wins seemed to be a done deal a few days ago when Golden State rallied late and beat Utah in overtime. A few days later, though, Boston ended the Warriors' NBA-record 54-game home winning streak, then the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled out an overtime win Tuesday at Oracle Arena.
Golden State's record stands at 69-9. The Warriors need to win all four remaining games to break the Bulls' record. Two games are against San Antonio, two are against Memphis, beginning Thursday with the Spurs in Oakland, California.
After the loss to Minnesota, some of the Warriors asked if the regular-season record was even worth chasing. They need to win some games, though, because it's still possible for San Antonio to catch Golden State for the No. 1 seed in the West.
“It's kind of at a point now where you're ready for the regular season to be over,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said after Tuesday's game.
Older Chicago sports fans probably can remember being annoyed when members of the 1972 Dolphins celebrated when the 1985 Bears lost in Miami on a Monday night to spoil their undefeated season.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. How many Bulls fans are pulling for Golden State to lose? All of them, perhaps?
Scottie Pippen admitted he's rooting against the Warriors. Golden State coach Steve Kerr claimed former Bulls center Luc Longley asked him to consider not breaking the record.
The Bulls may get their wish. The Warriors' season is mirroring the Bulls' run in '95-96. Both teams lost twice at home late in the season after being unbeatable.
“It's a miracle that we've gone this far without hitting a bump in the road,” Kerr said Wednesday. “This is to be expected. Every team goes through it. It's just probably surprising for people out there and maybe even our own guys because this season has maybe come too easy for us.”
Added Steph Curry: “It can't be an excuse that we put ourselves in this situation and now it's draining us to finish.”
Warriors guard Andre Iguodala pointed out how the New England Patriots' 16-0 season in 2007 is largely forgotten now because they lost the Super Bowl. So the focus should be on winning another championship.
Meanwhile, the current Bulls practiced in Miami on Wednesday, their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, after a quiet game in Tuesday's loss to Memphis, talked about the chemistry between him, coach Fred Hoiberg and backcourt mate Derrick Rose.
“It has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with me,” Butler said, according to espn.com. “So it's not, ‘if we can coexist.' It's, ‘Jimmy Butler has to play better. Jimmy Butler has to do whatever it takes to help this team win.' ”
• Associated Press contributed to this story. Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.
Bulls scouting report
Bulls vs. Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena, 7 p.m.
TV: WGN, TNT
Radio: ESPN 1000-AM
Outlook: The Bulls hadn't been swept 4-0 in a season series since the 2007-08 season (by Boston and Orlando). Now Miami has a chance to be the second team this season to sweep the Bulls 4-0, joining Atlanta. The Heat has been without Chris Bosh since Feb. 9 but is holding up well in the playoff race. As of Wednesday morning, Miami and Boston were tied for fourth place in the East. The Heat is averaging 112 points against the Bulls this season, with a wide variety of scorers. PG Goran Dragic is averaging 21.5 ppg against the Bulls, with newcomer Joe Johnson and C Hassan Whiteside at 19.5 ppg, and Dwyane Wade at 18.3. Miami rolled past Detroit 107-89 on Tuesday.
Next: Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
— Mike McGraw