Chicago Bulls have a chance to prevent history
Thanks to Michael Jordan and friends, the Chicago Bulls always are in the conversation when it comes to the best teams and greatest seasons in NBA history.
The current Bulls have a chance to play spoiler Thursday against a team that is chasing history.
The San Antonio Spurs have been largely ignored this season with so much focus on the Golden State Warriors' quest for 73 wins. But the Spurs are 30-0 at home and have a chance to beat the NBA record of 37 straight home wins to start a season, set by the 1995-96 Bulls.
Of course, the Warriors also were undefeated at home (27-0) heading into Wednesday night's game against Utah and just broke another Bulls record with their 45th straight home victory, stretching to last season.
Coincidentally, the Bulls were the last visiting team to win a game at Golden State, on Jan. 27 last year.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is naturally impressed by the Spurs, who are led by a rising star in Kawhi Leonard, added all-star forward LaMarcus Aldridge and have the usual cast of successful players.
"They've been together so long, I think that's the biggest thing when you look at that team," Hoiberg said. "They know each other so well. They know where they're going to be. A lot of times there are no-look passes. The ball moves so well."
The Warriors and Spurs play each other three more times this season, twice in Texas. So the Spurs will play a part in whether Golden State can top one of the most revered records in NBA history, the Bulls' 72-10 season of 1995-96.
Former Bulls star Scottie Pippen chimed in on the topic this week. After the Warriors were upset Sunday by the lowly Los Angeles Lakers, Pippen made his rooting interest clear.
"They say records are made to be broken … but I'd be OK to see that one stand for a while," he posted on his Twitter account.
As of Wednesday morning, Golden State was 56-6 and San Antonio was 54-10. That's the best winning percentage this late in the season for the top two teams in the league.
Is this the strongest the NBA has ever been at the top? Not necessarily.
Through Tuesday's game, there were just three teams with a winning percentage of .700 or better, with Cleveland being the third.
In comparison, there were six teams at .700 or better on March 9, 1997. That was the year after the Bulls won 72 games. They were 53-8 on March 9 of that season and would go on to finish 69-13 after losing three of their final four games and failing to reach 70 wins for the second straight season.
In 1997, New York, Detroit, Utah, Miami and Seattle all had 18 or fewer losses on March 9.
Another strong year was 2009, when the Lakers, Cleveland, Boston and Orlando all were at a .730 winning percentage or better on March 9.
Back to the present, the Bulls have a chance to prevent history if they can somehow get a win at San Antonio on Thursday. They beat the Spurs in Chicago on Nov. 30.
"San Antonio has always been a tough place to go in and get a win," Mike Dunleavy said Wednesday. "Obviously with Tim Duncan being there 20 years, it's never easy. And then Golden State is a place where the crowd is into it and a tough place to win on the road.
"I don't want to say I'm not surprised. But of all the teams, it seems like those two would be great home teams."
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Strong at the top
While Golden State and San Antonion are enjoying incredible success this season, here's a look at standings on March 9 from other notable seasons in NBA history:
<b>March 9, 2016</b>Golden State 56-6 .903
San Antonio 54-10 .844
Cleveland 44-18 .710
Oklahoma City 43-20 .683
<b>March 9, 2009</b>LA Lakers 50-13 .794
Cleveland 49-13 .790
Boston 49-15 .766
Orlando 46-17 .730
<b>March 9, 1997</b>Bulls 53-8 .869
New York 47-16 .746
Detroit 45-16 .738
Utah 45-16 .738
<b>March 9, 1996</b>Bulls 54-6 .900
Seattle 47-13 783
Orlando 46-15 .754
Utah 42-17 .712
<b>March 9, 1981</b>Philadelphia 56-15 .789
Boston 55-16 .775
Milwaukee 52-19 .732
Phoenix 53-21 .716
<b>March 9, 1972</b>LA Lakers 60-12 .833
Milwaukee 57-17 .770
Bulls 52-22 .703
Golden State 46-26 .639
Source: NBA.com