Repeating as NBA champion is ultimate target, but topping ’ 95- 96 Bulls’ record also on players’ minds
SAN ANTONIO — Warriors power forward Draymond Green stood outside the losing locker room late Saturday night, trying to figure out exactly what his team has to accomplish in the final 13 regular- season games to break the single- season wins record.
When someone suggested that the Warriors need to close the season 10- 3 to catch the 1995- 96 Chicago Bulls, who won 72 games, Green quickly made a correction.
“No, we need 11 wins, because we want to break that thing,” Green said. “Hey, we’ve won 11 games in a row this season. There’s nothing we can’t do. It’s possible. We’re going after it, so it’s possible. …
“I’m not going to shy away from saying we want the record. We want the record, and we’re going after it.”
The Warriors have been asked about the 72- 10 mark since they opened the season with 24 straight wins, and this
was by far the strongest admission of the team’s desire to set the record.
It was also an indication that the Warriors know it’s time to get serious about the goal.
“There’s a reason why nobody’s been close to that Bulls’ record,” Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said. “… It’s an 82- game season, and there are so many variables that go into it. We’ve been pretty good at matching those every single night.
“We haven’t brought our ‘ A- plus’ game every single night, but we’ve found ways to win. That’s what we’ve been most proud of this year.”
The Warriors have 13 regular- season games remaining, beginning with Monday’s game at Minnesota. They also have games at Utah on March 30, at Memphis on April 9 and at San Antonio on April 10.
The other nine games will be played at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors haven’t lost this season and have an NBA- record 50- game winning streak dating to last season.
Eight of the Warriors’ final 13 games are against teams positioned to make the playoffs, and the opponents Golden State will face in those games went into Sunday with a combined winning percentage of .522. The number is skewed because of a game against last- place Philadelphia ( 9- 60) and two games against secondplace San Antonio ( 5910).
“We’ll be all right,” Curry said. “We’ve still got 13 games left. We’ve got some tough challenges. We play ( the Spurs) twice, Memphis twice, the Clippers and other playoff teams along the way.
“We’ll be all right. If it happens or not, it doesn’t change our vision of how we’re going to end the season.”
The Warriors ( 62- 7) are still one game ahead of the 1995- 96 Bulls’ pace. Chicago was 61- 8 through 69 games and didn’t take its ninth loss until it had 66 wins.
Generally, the Warriors have maintained that they’d like to chase the single- season wins record, if it’s within reach. Their top priorities are to clinch the Western Conference’s top seed and defend their championship.
The Warriors lead the West by three games on San Antonio, which beat them 87- 79 on Saturday.
“It seems like every time we’ve lost one, we’ve won 10 games in a row,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s a testament to our guys’ competitiveness. ...
“I know they’ll bounce back. We’ll come back, finish the season strong and feel good going into the playoffs.”
“I’m not going to shy away from saying we want the record. ... We’re going after it.” Draymond Green, Warriors forward