Bulls-Wizards Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 26 2013 1:15AM

As successful as their recent homestand was, the Chicago Bulls have been even better lately on the road.

A visit to one of the Eastern Conference's worst teams would appear to give the Bulls a prime chance for another win away from home, but the Washington Wizards have proved difficult to beat at home lately.

The Bulls will seek a sixth consecutive road victory and their season-high fourth in a row overall by denying the Wizards their longest win streak at the Verizon Center in five seasons Saturday night.

Chicago (26-16) finished 3-1 in its homestand and earned a decisive 103-87 victory over Golden State in Friday's finale. Kirk Hinrich had a season-high 25 points and Nate Robinson scored 22 for the Bulls, whose lone blemish on the homestand was an overtime loss to Memphis last Saturday.

In his fourth straight start in place of All-Star Luol Deng, Jimmy Butler recorded his first career double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds). Carlos Boozer and fellow All-Star Joakim Noah also pulled off that feat Friday.

Deng, averaging a team-best 17.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, is dealing with a strained right hamstring, but Butler has been sensational as his replacement, averaging 15.5 points and 9.3 boards.

"We're a real hungry team right now, and we really feel that our best basketball is yet to come," Noah said. "We're short-handed right now but we're playing with a great edge."

Chicago has beaten the top two teams in the East, Miami and New York, during its current road win streak. A matchup with Washington (10-31) would seem a little easier, but the Wizards have won six of nine and four straight at home.

Washington had little trouble in Friday's opener of a three-game homestand, knocking off Minnesota 114-101 to move out of last place in the East. John Wall had 14 points in his first start in 2012-13 and the Wizards shot a season-high 57.8 percent.

Washington was 5-28 while its point guard recovered from a knee injury and 4-13 at home. With Wall back, the Wizards are on the verge of their first five-game win streak at the Verizon Center since Jan. 12-29, 2008.

Jordan Crawford had a team-best 19 points Friday after averaging 8.3 in his first four games back from an ankle injury, and Bradley Beal contributed 16 points and a career-best four blocks.

"You're not going to hear any good thing about your team or organization if you're not winning games, and that's all we're trying to do - is just win," Wall said.

Wall and Crawford did not play in the only other matchup with the Bulls this season, an 87-77 loss in Chicago on Dec. 29. Marco Belinelli had a team-best 17 points for the home team, which shot 39.1 percent, while Beal scored 14 for the Wizards, who shot 36.5 percent and were held under 15 points in two quarters.

The Bulls are 8-1 in their last nine games against Washington and have won four straight in the nation's capital. The last two wins there have been by a combined 38 points.

The Wizards, however, recorded their most recent win over Chicago on April 16. Kevin Seraphin had 21 points and a career high-tying 13 rebounds in that 87-84 victory and Wall had 16 points, including three key free throws in the final 1:16.

Okafor helps Wizards top Bulls 86-73

Posted Jan 26 2013 11:19PM

WASHINGTON (AP) For the first 32 games of the season, the Washington Wizards were a sorry bunch - winning only four times. The comical comparison was the Washington Generals - the punching bag for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Not so much anymore.

Emeka Okafor had 15 points and 16 rebounds, helping the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 86-73 on Saturday night for their seventh victory in the last 10 games.

Nene scored 16 points and John Wall had 15 for Washington, which has won consecutive games for the second time this season. The Wizards have won five straight at home for the first time in five years.

"We are the team we thought we were supposed to be," Okafor said.

The run began before Wall returned from a left knee injury, and now the injury-riddled team is healthy again.

"We have back all the players. There is our team," Nene said. "We gonna shut up people's mouths. That's what we're going to do."

Chicago (26-17) had won a season-high three in a row for the third time.

Nate Robinson scored 19 points for the Bulls, and Joakim Noah narrowly missed a triple-double with nine points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, which equaled his career high.

"I think we got beat by a team that just played harder than us tonight," Noah said.

"We played tired basketball tonight."

Chicago dominated Golden State at home on Friday night, leading throughout the game while Washington (11-31) easily beat undermanned Minnesota for its 10th victory of the season.

Two of the season's first five wins came against Miami and Oklahoma City, but in many ways, this was even more impressive.

"As a coach, I'll take it against a high school team," Washington coach Randy Wittman said.

Wittman, whose team was decimated by injuries early this season, pointed out that star point guard Derrick Rose has yet to play for the Bulls, and All-Star forward Luol Deng missed his fifth straight game with a strained right hamstring.

"I've been there, but a win's a win," Wittman said.

Wall, who started for the second straight night, has been the catalyst for the team's recent success.

"It's not just me, man. It's never just me. I wanted to come in and be a spark for the team," Wall said.

"I'm just doing a great job of getting easy shots for my teammates."

The Wizards outscored Chicago 23-11 in the third quarter to take a 73-55 lead. The 11 points were a season low for the Bulls. Chicago had twice as many turnovers (six) as field goals (three) in the period.

"I thought we played low energy tonight," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

"You gotta get ready for everybody. ... When you start taking shortcuts, the results aren't gonna be good."

The Wizards put together an 11-0 run late in the second quarter, holding the Bulls scoreless for nearly five minutes while building a 50-44 halftime lead.

Washington outscored Chicago 10-2 to start the third and led 60-46 with 8:58 to play. Nene hit two more field goals and two free throws as the Wizards extended the lead to 69-51 with 4:28 left in the third.

NOTES: The 29 points in the second half were a season low for the Bulls. ... Within a minute in the third quarter, Chicago F Carlos Boozer was charged with a flagrant foul for elbowing Okafor and a technical foul. ... The game was a sellout - the third of the season for Washington. ... The Wizards trailed after the first quarter for the first time in their last eight home games.

Notebook: Wizards 86, Bulls 73

Rich Dubroff, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:40 PM - Updated Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:40 PM

THE FACTS: Emeka Okafor scored 15 points and had 16 rebounds, Nene and John Wall each had 16 as the Washington Wizards won for the seventh time in 10 games, 86-73 over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

After Chicago had a five-point lead midway through the second quarter, the Wizards outscored the Bulls 38-15 to take a 73-55 lead after three.

Nate Robinson led Chicago, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, with 19. Joakim Noah barely missed a triple-double with nine points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. Robinson was the only Bull in double figures.

QUOTABLE: "Right now, it's just a buzz. It's nothing that's official. Once we get to .500 or above, then we can start putting ourselves up with some of the best teams in the East."

-- Wizards forward Martell Webster

THE STAT: Washington held Chicago to 29 points in the second half -- its fewest this season.

TURNING POINT: The Bulls were within six at the half, but any chance they had evaporated when they had three field goals and six turnovers in an 11-point third quarter. "I thought we played low energy," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. "When you start taking shortcuts, the results aren't going to be good."

QUOTABLE II: "We had a good little wave we was riding'. Sometimes you fall off, but now we gotta get back up on the wave and keep surfing."

-- Robinson

HOT: Okafor was 6-for-8 from the field. In the last two nights, he's 10-for-14.

NOT: .Carlos Boozer was just 3-for-9. He had a flagrant foul for elbowing Okafor and a technical within a minute in the third quarter. He had just two rebounds, eight below his season average.

GOOD MOVE: Knowing he had back-to-back games, Wizards coach Randy Wittman pulled his starters early in Friday's decisive win over Minnesota. His players had lots of energy.

BAD MOVE: Boozer elbowing Okafor in the midst of the Wizards' third quarter run, getting a flagrant, and giving Washington added momentum.

NOTABLE: The Wizards won their fifth straight home game for the first time in nearly five years.

IN THE ARENA: Washington drew its third sellout of the season, and earlier in the day, Georgetown upset No. 5 Louisville at the Verizon Center, The two games drew a combined 37,782 fans.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Monday vs. Charlotte, Wednesday @ Milwaukee, Friday @ Brooklyn. For the Wizards, Monday vs. Sacramento, Wednesday @ Philadelphia, Friday @ Memphis.

• Bulls: Rose
• Wizards: Martin

• Bulls: Boozer
• Wizards: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #31 Scott Wall, #52 Scott Twardoski, #38 Michael Smith
• Attendance: 20308
• Duration: 2:03