CHICAGO – Nikola Mirotic recorded a team-high 17 points and Derrick Rose scored 11, but the Bulls fell to the visiting Washington Wizards 85-81 at the United Center on Monday night.
After missing the final 71 games of last season with a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, Rose looked sharp in limited minutes. He started and scored nine of his team’s first 13 points, making four-of-five from the field in that stretch. Rose played 14 minutes in the game but did not log any time in the second half as Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau opted to rest him along with Joakim Noah.
Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and Pau Gasol joined Rose and Noah in the starting lineup. Thibodeau, however, had indicated he wanted to experiment with different lineups and combinations, and he did just that. Before the end of the first quarter, ten different players entered the game for Chicago. Included in that group was Mirotic, who connected on three of his five attempts from downtown in the course of 22 minutes.
Dunleavy and Taj Gibson added 10 points apiece for Chicago, while Gasol recorded eight points and eight rebounds.
Glen Rice scored 18 to lead the Wizards, while Marcin Gortat added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls continue their eight-game preseason Tuesday when they visit the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills (6:30 p.m. CT on Comcast SportsNet).