The Washington Wizards badly needed a response after the loss to Toronto, and they found one on the road in Chicago, outlasting the Bulls 124-120 on the second night of a back-to-back.
It was the kind of game that reminded you how thin the margin is in the NBA. Washington had enough good stretches to get the win, but it also spent plenty of the night giving Chicago chances to hang around. That created a clean split between the performances that swung the game and the moments that nearly gave it away.
Kyshawn George was one of the biggest reasons the Wizards got back on track. After hurting the team in the Toronto loss, he came into this one needing a reset just as much as Washington needed a victory.
He delivered. George made his presence felt on the glass, defended at a high level and looked far more comfortable offensively.
The only issue was the slow start, which is something the Wizards will want to see corrected as the season moves along.
Justin Champagnie kept doing what he has done so often for Washington: all the gritty stuff that helps winning teams function. He finished with 14 rebounds, scored efficiently off the bench and gave the Wizards steady production in the kind of role he has made his own. If he ever becomes a reliable three-point threat, that adds another layer to what he already brings.
Bub Carrington didn’t need a huge stat line to matter. His impact showed up in the places that often decide whether a bench unit holds together or falls apart.
His defense has taken a real step forward, and he is starting to look like a legitimate 3-and-D piece. Offensively, his paint touches helped him create and facilitate enough to keep things moving.
He has already done enough to justify his rotation spot.
Not everything was clean, though. The Wizards’ closing stretch was messy, and a game that should have been wrapped up sooner turned into a tighter finish than necessary.
Washington had a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and still ended up winning by just four. That kind of lapse points to issues with coaching, pace and offensive execution, especially from a young group still learning how to put teams away.
On the other side, the Bulls got enough from Anthony Davis to keep things competitive, but not in the way they probably wanted. After his strong first game, he has struggled to find the same level again.
Too often, he’s been forcing shots and leaning into isolation possessions that eat up the clock and end in poor attempts. His defense has held up reasonably well, but the offense has been the problem, and it’s why Chicago stayed alive all night.
The Wizards are looking for an All-NBA version of Davis, and that means much more efficient production on that end.
Washington got the win it needed. The next step is making sure it doesn’t turn a comfortable lead into another late scramble.
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Even with a win over the Bulls in hand, the closing stretch showed there is still work to do. Washington built a comfortable fourth-quarter lead, then had to sweat out a late Chicago push before escaping, a reminder that the teams improved offense will need cleaner late-game execution if it wants this fast start to translate into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]