NBA: Warriors dump Bulls to extend home winning streak; Hawks down the Nuggets

SAN FRANCISCO – Jordan Poole exploded for a game-high 30 points off the bench and the Golden State Warriors won their ninth straight at home on Friday night with a 119-111 triumph over the Chicago Bulls in San Francisco.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green buried key late three-pointers for Golden State, whose 10-1 home record is tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best in the National Basketball Association. Thompson finished with 26 points, and teammate Stephen Curry had 19 to go with 11 rebounds.

Nikola Vucevic had 23 points, Zach LaVine 21 and DeMar DeRozan 16 for Chicago, who trailed by as many as 19 before rallying within 105-102 after a steal and hoop by Javonte Green with 6:14 to play.

A three-pointer by Thompson stalled the Chicago surge, but the visitors kept coming and eventually got within 110-109 on a three-pointer by LaVine with 2:27 to go.

Again, the Warriors dialed long distance to increase their advantage, with Draymond Green burying a 26-footer to make it a four-point game.

Two free throws by Thompson and a block by Draymond Green via a call reversal on a LaVine layup held the Bulls at bay until Thompson slammed the door with a 15-footer for a 117-109 advantage with 55 seconds left.

Poole shot 7-for-13 from three-point range while matching his second-highest point total of the season. The Warriors made 20 treys on 50 tries, outscoring the Bulls 60-27 from beyond the arc.

Curry contributed four three-pointers to the Golden State total, while Thompson had three. Curry and Thompson also found time for six assists apiece.

Draymond Green chipped in with 13 points and a season-high 10 assists, missing his first triple-double of the season by one rebound. Wiggins had 12 points, and Kevon Looney added a game-high 12 rebounds to complement seven points.

Vucevic went 9-for-17 from the field for the Bulls, who were outshot 48.3 percent to 46.2 percent. The big man completed a double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds.

DeRozan had a team-high seven assists and pulled down six rebounds.

Goran Dragic went for 14 points off the bench and Javonte Green had 13 for Chicago, which fell to 2-3 on a six-game trip that ends Sunday night in Sacramento.

Over in Atlanta, Dejounte Murray saved nine of his game-high 34 points for the stretch run Friday night as the Atlanta Hawks, playing without Trae Young, outlasted the visiting Denver Nuggets 117-109.

Coming off a 30-point effort Wednesday in a win at Orlando, Young was a late scratch due to a sore right shoulder. The injury is not considered serious.

Seeking a fifth straight win, Denver led for 21 seconds, but rallied from double-digit deficits multiple times to get within arm’s length of the hosts.

Atlanta had the answer on every occasion, however, including one final time after a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope three-pointer had capped a 9-0 burst that turned a 12-point Nuggets deficit into a 104-101 game with still 5:16 to play.

AJ Griffin stopped the bleeding with a 19-footer and, after a Bruce Brown hoop for the Nuggets, Murray hit consecutive shots to begin a Hawks pull-away.

When Griffin polished off a 24-point night with another hoop at the 1:57 mark, Atlanta had a nine-point lead and was able to coast to a second consecutive victory. Murray added a late basket and three free throws to assure the win.

Murray hit 13 of his 22 shots and four of his seven 3-point attempts for the Hawks, who outshot the Nuggets 55.7 percent to 52.9 percent. He also found time for a game-high-tying eight assists.

Clint Capela (12), Jalen Johnson (10), Jarrett Culver (10), Aaron Holiday (10) and Onyeka Okongwu (10) also scored in double figures for the Hawks. Capela and Johnson completed double-doubles with 11 and 10 rebounds respectively.

Nikola Jokic had a team-high 24 points and Jamal Murray 20 for the Nuggets, who took their only lead of the game at 79-78 on a Jokic 3-pointer with 2:37 remaining in the third period.

Dejounte Murray countered with a three of his own 21 seconds later, however, and the hosts never trailed again.

Jokic also had 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Bones Hyland added 16 points, Aaron Gordon 14 and Vlatko Cancar 12 for the Nuggets, who were opening a three-day, two game trip.