Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors plays tight defense on Derrick Rose of the Chicago BullsEzra Shaw/Getty Images
One after another, teams trotted into rowdy Oracle Arena the past two months confident they could cool off the NBA's hottest team on their home floor.
It took 113 points, 53 minutes and one big shot from a former MVP to finally make it happen.
Derrick Rose hit a step-back jumper with 7 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Chicago Bulls ended Golden State's franchise-record 19-game home winning streak with a thrilling 113-111 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday night.
"Anybody can get momentum or anybody can get the feeling they can beat anybody when you beat a team like this," Rose said.
Rose, looking as healthy as ever, dribbled to his left and created space to get off the 20-footer over Klay Thompson, skipping around the court after the Warriors called timeout. Rose finished with 30 points, and his final basket overshadowed a night when he committed a career-high 11 turnovers and made just 13 of 33 shots.
Thompson misfired a wide-open runner off the glass as time expired.
"We feel comfortable with Derrick taking responsibility in those moments," Bulls big man Pau Gasol said. "He definitely doesn't hide and he's very aggressive."
The Warriors forced overtime on Draymond Green's tying tip-in with 1.4 seconds left and looked ready to recreate their unbeatable spark in front of a sellout crowd of 19,596. But they couldn't do enough to slow down a rejuvenated Rose, and Chicago's frontcourt overwhelmed the Warriors inside with centre Andrew Bogut a last-minute scratch with flu-like symptoms.
Gasol had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Joakim Noah had 18 points and 15 rebounds as the Bulls pounded the Warriors down low. They outrebounded Golden State 61 to 48.
Thompson had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and David Lee scored a season-high 24 points for the NBA-leading Warriors (36-7), who lost on their home floor for the only the second time all season and the first time since San Antonio knocked them off on Nov. 11.
"I never felt like we got into our flow. A lot of that had to do with their defence," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Indeed, Tom Thibodeau's team clamped down after the Warriors started 9 for 20 from 3-point range. Golden State missed all 13 attempts from beyond the arc after the first half.
Stephen Curry still put the Warriors in position to win, capping a 7-0 spurt to start the fourth quarter with one of his biggest highlights: faking a behind-the-back pass with his left hand and throwing a no-look toss over his right shoulder to Lee for a dunk that put the Warriors up 88-79.
But just as he did throughout the night, Rose brought the Bulls back – inspiring a louder-than-usual visiting crowd sprinkled around the arena to a light roar each time.
Chicago capped its closing burst by trapping Curry in the backcourt and forcing him into an errant pass. Rose came up with the ball and fed Kirk Hinrich, whose 3-pointer put the Bulls up 107-105 with 15.8 seconds remaining.
Andre Iguodala missed a 3 after a timeout, but Green pushed Noah aside for the tying tip-in. Rose's long-range heave at the end of regulation was never close.
Neither team could create much separation in the extra session.
Green stole Hinrich's inbounds pass in the final minute before Thompson missed a 3-pointer on the other end. Rose dribbled out the shot clock, then hit the jumper over Thompson to put the Bulls up for good.
After a timeout, Nikola Mirotic fouled Iguodala behind the basket as he jumped. Officials ruled Iguodala was not in the act of shooting, giving Golden State the ball on the side, while Kerr called on them to award Iguodala two free throws.
Thompson still managed to break free on the inbounds pass, but he missed the running bank shot to finish off Golden State's loss.
CAVALIERS 103, PISTONS 95
AUBURN HILLS – Kyrie Irving matched his season high with 38 points and LeBron James added 32 to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to their seventh straight victory.
The Cavs avenged a 23-point home loss to Detroit late last month. That game was part of a seven-game winning streak for the Pistons, but now Detroit is struggling to overcome the loss of Brandon Jennings, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon last weekend and will miss the rest of the season.
James fell to the floor near the basket during the final seconds of the third quarter and got up grimacing, apparently concerned about at least one of his wrists. He went to the bench, but only briefly. His two-handed breakaway dunk early in the fourth put Cleveland up 80-68.
BUCKS 109, HEAT 102
MIAMI – Brandon Knight had 17 points and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks put seven players in double figures on the way to beating the Miami Heat.
Khris Middleton also scored 17 for the Bucks, who got 15 from Jerryd Bayless, 14 from O.J. Mayo, 13 from Giannis Antetokounmpo, 12 from John Henson and 11 from Chris Dudley.
With fighters Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao watching courtside, Milwaukee beat Miami for the third time in as many meetings this season, moving three games clear of the Heat in the race for No. 6 in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks' bench outscored Miami's 44-13.
Chris Bosh had 26 points for Miami. The Heat lost Dwyane Wade in the third quarter with what the team said was a strained right hamstring.
GRIZZLIES 109, MAVERICKS 90
DALLAS – Zach Randolph had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies handed the Dallas Mavericks their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Marc Gasol added 15 points and a game-high six assists for the Grizzlies, who won their fourth straight and eighth in their past nine games a night after finishing a season-long five-game homestand. The only loss in that stretch was to Dallas last week at home.
Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis scored 19 apiece to lead the Mavericks, who failed for the third time to get coach Rick Carlisle his 600th career victory.
WIZARDS 98, LAKERS 92
LOS ANGELES – John Wall had 21 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, and the Washington Wizards rallied from a 19-point deficit to send the Los Angeles Lakers to their ninth straight loss.
Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards, who won their fifth straight over the Lakers.
Wayne Ellington scored a career-high 28 points and rookie Jordan Clarkson had a career-high 18 for the Lakers, who are on their longest skid since April 1994.