Bulls Win Ugly Against Wizards, 121-120

The Chicago Bulls win on the second night of a back-to-back against the struggling Washington Wizards, 121 to 120.

The Chicago Bulls narrowly defeated the rebuilding Washington Wizards in an ugly home win, with a final score of 121 to 120. Both teams were missing key players due to injuries: Isaac Okoro for the Bulls and rookie Tre Johnson for the Wizards.

After an embarrassing loss to the Miami Heat, a team on a 13-game losing streak, the Wizards seemed like the perfect opponent for the second night of a back-to-back — or at least, that’s what one would hope.

Wizards Put Up an Early Fight

Alex Sarr’s three-pointer gave the Wizards confidence and allowed them to extend their lead. The Bulls kept trying to close the gap, but the Wizards kept pulling away. The Bulls’ struggle with three-point shooting appears to be a main reason for falling behind, as they made only two of eight attempts from beyond the arc. The opening quarter featured little true defense, with both teams ending with over 40 points.

According to the game-day preview, Alex Sarr was expected to be the main rim protector for the Bulls; however, Tristan Vukcevic also hindered the Bulls’ efforts at the rim.

In the second quarter, Billy Donovan subbed out four of the five players during a timeout after the Wizards took a ten-point lead. Unfortunately, the substitutions didn’t make much of a difference, as the Wizards’ unruly lineup extended their lead to 15.

Story continues below.

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When all seemed lost, veteran Nikola Vucevic took control and scored eight points toward the end of the second quarter. Buzelis and Giddey also carried this momentum. Giddey even ended the half with a steal and an easy fast-break layup.