Markkanen + Curry = ❌? pic.twitter.com/C5vTzAvaZ7
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 18, 2018
Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Dunk face, meet block face.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was on the wrong end of a block in Wednesday's 119-112 road win against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
The sharpshooter went in for a layup in the first quarter of the contest, with the Warriors leading 10-4. He faked a shot at the 3-point arc before doing a few crossover dribbles and ducking inside the paint, all while being defended by 7-footer Lauri Markkanen.
Curry -- listed at 6-foot-3 -- attempted a weak right handed offering in front of the Bulls' big man. Markkanen jumped and swatted the shot as Curry fell to the ground. The rejection hit the two-time NBA MVP directly in the face.
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Curry scored 30 points and had nine rebounds and four assists in the victory. Markkanen scored 11 points and had eight boards for the Bulls. Klay Thompson led all scorers with 38 points for the Warriors.
"The one thing you knew was, at very minimum, [Markkanen] was going to be a great 3-point-shooting big man, which is important to have in the league these days," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the Chicago Tribune. "The question was whether he could hold his own defensively and do more than just shoot. I think he has proved all of that."
Curry said the game was a case of the Warriors wearing the Bulls out.
"Whether it's third quarter or fourth quarter, we usually wear teams out. That's our calling card," Curry told the San Jose Mercury News. "We understand how to win games and how to take advantage of the full 48."
