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Warriors snap 3-game skid by beating Bulls 114-97

Jan 19, 2010 - 12:45 AM By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif.(AP) -- Andris Biedrins had been waiting for a while to finally feel like his old self again.

There he was Monday, blocking shots, rebounding and struggling from the free-throw line as usual.

Biedrins grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds to go with a career-best eight blocked shots, Monta Ellis had 36 points on 39 shots, and the short-handed Golden State Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak with a 114-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Biedrins returned late last month after missing 25 games with inflammation in his right groin where it attaches to the abdomen.

"It was probably my best game since I've been back, so it feels better than before," Biedrins said. "Physically, I feel better each game. I was waiting for a game like this. I'm getting there to where I was before and where I want to be."

Corey Maggette added 32 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Stephen Curry had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Golden State ended Chicago's four-game winning streak. Ellis had eight assists and five rebounds.

The Bulls couldn't overcome their sluggish start and failed to wear down the banged-up Warriors.

John Salmons scored 25 points and Luol Deng 20 for cold-shooting Chicago, which kicked off its seven-game road trip without starting guard Kirk Hinrich because of the flu. The Bulls were held to 36.5 percent from the floor.

Golden State dressed only eight players for the second straight game because of injuries. The Warriors were down to four players late in a 113-104 loss to Milwaukee on Friday night.

Maggette had his third 30-point game in his last four outings and fifth overall. Ellis shot 14 for 39, going 3 for 9 from long range. Ellis is the first Warriors player to take 39 shots since Rick Barry was 20 for 39 with 42 points on Feb. 22, 1975, against Boston.

"Not many other Warriors other than Wilt (Chamberlain) probably have shot 39 times in an NBA game," coach Don Nelson said.

Curry hit a 3-pointer with 1:23 left in the third quarter and Ellis followed with a basket in transition, giving Golden State some momentum heading into the final 12 minutes. After that, the Warriors quickly began pulling away.

Golden State signed forward and D-League call-up Anthony Tolliver to a 10-day contract on an injury exemption Saturday to give Nelson a little more depth - and Tolliver came out to start the second quarter.

As luck would have it, he went down with an injury.

Tolliver had six points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes before going out with 10:37 left after bruising his left knee in a hard fall.

"This is new territory for me," Nelson said. "We've got a bench of three D-Leaguers."

Somehow, the Warriors hung tough in this one.

They got down to four players Friday after Curry was whistled for his sixth foul with 4 seconds left. Curry was allowed to return but Golden State was charged with a technical because of the shortage.

"It's crazy," said forward Ronny Turiaf, sidelined with an ankle injury. "It's just freak stuff, guys getting poked in the eye. We've just got to ride through it and put ourselves in position to be healthy again."

The Warriors, playing a rare matinee game in front of a nearly full house despite miserable, wet weather outside, could use a boost with two games remaining on their season-long seven-game homestand.

Golden State also snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bulls, who had won the last two at Oracle Arena. Chicago held on for a 96-91 overtime victory at home on Dec. 11.

"We didn't come out with the energy and intensity in the first quarter, and then we couldn't control them off the dribble," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.

Biedrins' big day on the boards helped the Warriors to a 57-53 rebounding advantage and a season-high total. The Bulls had outrebounded their opponents in eight of the previous 10 games and led the NBA coming in with a 45.4 rebounding average per game. Golden State is 4-1 when outrebounding its opponent.

"It's huge," Curry said of Biedrins' performance. "Those are extra possessions we need to make runs."

The Warriors got off to a nice start by hitting nine of their first 14 shots for a 25-14 lead late in the opening quarter. But Golden State let the Bulls back in it in the second period and held a 54-53 halftime lead.

"We came out sluggish and didn't recover," said Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who added 19 points.

NOTES: The Warriors held a book drive at Oracle among special activities for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. ... The Bulls are 1-5 on the road vs. Western Conference teams. ... Golden State, along with the Oakland Black Firefighters Association, will collect donations during Wednesday's and Friday's home games for the Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Fans can donate in firefighter boots at the entrances to the arena and at various places inside.