Boris "Bubs" Malloy
Entering the NBA All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors are one game ahead of where the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were after 52 games, holding down a 48-4 record. What some analysts refused to accept at the start of the year is now in plain sight: the best record in NBA history (72-10) is in real jeopardy. The Warriors only need to win 80-percent of their games down the stretch to tie the legendary mark. (Since the start of last season, Golden State has won nearly 85-percent of their games, including playoffs.)
It won’t be an easy feat for Steve Kerr’s crew: immediately after the break, the Warriors hit the road for six straight, which includes a pair of back-to-back tilts and wraps up with a visit to Oklahoma City. But the road might be the only place Golden State loses this year. The team is a perfect 24-0 at Oracle Arena and still have 17 more home dates to finish out the season.
The deciding factor in the Warriors potentially historic season may be how they handle the San Antonio Spurs. Golden State drubbed the second-best team in the NBA, 120-90, in their first meeting, but that came in the comfort of “the Roaracle.” The Spurs are the one NBA team that has a more dominant home record than the Warriors, going 28-0 at the AT&T Center this season. The Warriors travel to San Antonio twice down the final stretch and, if they can’t win at least one of those games, they might not be able to one-up the Bulls of old.
But it’s not just 72-10 the Warriors are chasing. With two more wins at home, they’ll tie those same Bulls for the NBA’s longest home winning streak. Dating back to last January, Golden State has won 42 straight in their own barn. After their road trip, they’ll host the Atlanta Hawks and the Thunder.
So what are the odds Golden State can close out the season strong and bump the Bulls from the record books? As long as they don’t suffer a big injury to Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green, their chances are pretty good.
See for yourself!
20115-16 Golden State Warriors Odds:
Odds the Warriors break the 1995-96 Bulls’ single-season record (72-10): 4/9
Odds the Warriors tie the 1995-96 Bulls’ single-season record: 7/2
Odds the Warriors fall short of the 1995-96 Bulls’ single-season record: 6/1
Odds the Warriors break the Bulls’ home winning streak record (44 games): 3/5
(Photo Credit: Keith Allison (Originally uploaded to Flickr. Photo has been cropped.)[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/].)
