Thanks to a series of kickouts to the perimeter, taking advantage of turnovers and forcing the Bulls into an offensive game they're not built for, the Wizards dictated the flow of the game almost the entire way. They never trailed once and there were a few stretches when it appeared they would give the Bulls the game. Instead, they regrouped and took advantage of every opportunity that came their way. It was a reminder of why they hold the sixth seed in the disgrace known as this year's Eastern Conference.
Six of the eight Wizards who saw the floor reached double digits. Leading that group was likely All-Star John Wall and veteran import Nene with 19 points. Nene particularly made an impression late in the game by throwing down a couple of impressive dunks. Trevor Ariza lagged just behind with 16, shooting 3-for-6 from behind the three-point line. Marcin Gortat grabbed 11 rebounds and dunked with authority over Carlos Boozer early on. Perhaps biggest of all, the Wizards scored 22 points off 18 Bulls turnovers. The team that pounces on the most chances will usually win and that's what happened tonight.
Besides being Gortat's victim, Boozer had 19 points to lead the Bulls. Joakim Noah, trying to keep his mind off the Luol Deng trade and with no more media silence cloud hanging over him, totaled 16 rebounds, five on the offensive end. Jimmy Butler started and Tony Snell came off the bench, but both scored 12. Mike Dunleavy, in his new role as regular starter, finished with 10 and three players tied for eight. The offense was pretty balanced, but not to the extent of Washington.
The Wizards shot an even 52 percent and the Bulls shot 43. Not every opponent will have this kind of game, but tonight was a lesson that no matter how hard the Bulls battle, it won't always be enough. With Derrick Rose sidelined and Deng gone, points are even harder to come by now. The effort was certainly there. There have been games in which listlessness was evident, but not tonight. Unfortunately, that doesn't matter in terms of winning and losing. It's always who has more points than the other when the clock hits zero.
Despite recent success, the Bulls are likely destined for more games like this during the second half of the season. Whether other players are dealt remains to be seen, but we know this roster has less talent now than at the start of the season. Although that can't be controlled, the Bulls can dictate how points are scored on a given night. They let the Wizards pass the ball wherever they wanted, which played right into that team's shooting strengths. The Bulls have shooters too, but not as many as other teams. That's why driving to the hoop and mid-range jumpers are a big part of their plan. Looking for more chances at backdoor passes is also key. If they can do that, more winning streaks will be in the near future.
The Bulls have a chance to get back the Wizards Friday in Washington, but first, they must do battle with the Orlando Magic in Florida Wednesday. That's a team with a high chance to land their next Shaq or Dwight with the top pick in next June's draft. I won't get into the pros and cons of winning or losing that game because the Bulls will try to win without question. That's in their DNA regardless of roster makeup. Nothing else I've written here could be more accurate.
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