Banged-up Wizards cruise past Bulls for 114-100 win

The Chicago Bulls are moving from one streak to the other, this time beginning what looks like a bad losing one, adding a loss to the Washington Wizards, a team with a loss of absent players, to the collection, once again showcasing some very bad defense. Beal dealt with minor injuries that sent him in and out of the lineup during each of his first three National Basketball Association campaigns, and is on the verge of returning from another as the wildly inconsistent Wizards prepare to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. “He will have some rust, but I thought he showed good energy”, Hoiberg said.

It opened up the floor for more than drives to the basket, like open shots on the perimeter and open space on the Wizards’ offensive glass as they got every loose ball, resulting in 19 second-chance points.

In the first half, Washington guard John Wall was all over the court as he put up 8 points, 3 rebounds, and contributed 5 assists. “Sometimes it goes their way when they come to our house, and we come here and we’ve been winning lately”. Chicago is starting a stretch of four games in five days, so coach Fred Hoiberg said players such as Rose and F/C Pau Gasol might rest a game. “We need to be better, (with) more physicality on the defensive end”. “Work as a unit”.

Bulls center Joakim Noah had no points and nine rebounds in a little under 19 minutes in his return from a left shoulder sprain. He missed nine games after he got hurt in the third quarter of a 105-102 loss to Brooklyn on December 21. But he stayed in the game.

The Wizards ripped off an 18-4 run after Doug McDermott’s four-point play brought the Bulls within four with 9 minutes, 34 seconds left.

Gortat appeared to injure the knee in Saturday’s game against the Magic.

Wall is averaging a career-best 19.6 points and 9.6 assists – the second-best average in the National Basketball Association – and has not missed a game this season despite dealing with multiple nagging injuries, including ankle and rib ailments. “It swelled up and he had a high temperature last night so we know it’s an infection of some type”. Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and Chris Bosh and Gerald Green added 15 apiece for the Heat, who had won eight of their past 11 games here.

Scoring depth was key to overcoming those absences Monday, with seven Wizards reaching double figures in a 114-100 win at Chicago.

It is honestly fantastic that head coach Randy Wittman still has a job after the season Washington has had, and even he wouldn’t be surprised by his team’s grade over their first 35 games.