Wizards Defense Disappears in Loss vs. Bulls

The Washington Wizards struggled mightily on defense in their loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Jan 10, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Talen Horton-Tucker (22) defends against Washington Wizards guard Jared Butler (4) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards saw their losing streak continue in a 138-105 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Friday night inside the United Center.

The Wizards had Jordan Poole (hip contusion) and Alex Sarr (non-Covid illness) back in the lineup, but the Bulls blitzed them in the first quarter to take a double-digit lead.

While the deficit for the Wizards was only 10 points at halftime, the third quarter was when the Bulls started to run away with things. Chicago scored 41 points in the third quarter, giving the team a 27-point advantage that the Wizards had no chance of digging themselves out of in the final frame.

Poole led the Wizards in scoring with 22 points while Jared Butler added 18 off the bench.

For the Bulls, Zach LaVine led all scorers with 33 while Nikola Vucevic (23 points, 13 rebounds) and Josh Giddey (12 points, 13 rebounds) each had double-doubles.

The loss marks the 30th of the season for the Wizards, making them the first team in the NBA to reach that unfortunate stat.

The Wizards are back in action at home on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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