The Golden State Warriors have been an afterthought in recent NBA history. They have had only two winning seasons in the last 16 years and have made the playoffs only once in that time. Among those seasons are five straight years of 21 or fewer wins from 1997-2002.
With the retirement of longtime coach Don Nelson, new coach Keith Smart has a no-name team off to a hot start at 6-2. Guard Monta Ellis, who has back problems from a recent fall on the court, helped lead the Warriors to a win over the Knicks last night with 22 points. Lou Amundson (fractured right index finger) and Ekpe Udoh (left wrist surgery) are out for Golden State.
Meanwhile, the Bulls won on Monday against the Nuggets with a balanced attack that had five players in double figures. Joakim Noah had 19 rebounds and is outpacing the league in that category.
Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m. CST and will be televised on CSN Chicago.