Wizards vs Bulls Recap: NBA Jan. 11/23

Wednesday’s night early games included a showdown between the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls. The Wizards, who entered the game with a winning record from home, won the game in a contest that was close as time expired.

They put up a single-possession margin of victory in the game, winning by 3 points to improve to 11-8 as hosts this season. The final score was Chicago 97, and Washington 100 as the Bulls suffered a setback without DeMar DeRozan in the lineup. The game might be remembered for the fact that Zach LaVine, with time running out and down by three, dribbled inside the three-point line and clunked a mid-range two-pointer.

Bulls @ Wizards Wednesday: Zach LaVine scores 38

With the loss, the Bulls are now 18-24 overall on the season. It was the team’s second loss in a row following a stretch where they appeared to be on the upswing. The top scorer in the game was LaVine. Despite the gaffe at the end of the game, he had an impressive 38 points in the contest but Chicago played without DeMar DeRozan, who is sidelined with a quad injury.

The result of this game is telling as to how badly Chicago needs DeRozan. LaVine scored 38 and Washington was without both Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis for the game. Yet, the Bulls were still not able to pull the contest out without their midrange shooter.

Meanwhile, the Wizards improved to 19-23 with the 3-point victory. They continue to jostle around at the lower end of the Eastern Conference’s standings. Kyle Kuzma broke a tie in this game with a three-pointer in the final seconds. He led his team with 21 points in what was a low-scoring contest.

Further reading: NBA Power Rankings