Bulls-Wizards Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 29 2012 9:05PM

After failing to come through in the clutch against one of the NBA's best teams, Derrick Rose will look for redemption against one of the league's worst.

The Chicago Bulls seek their seventh consecutive win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night in the nation's capital.

Chicago (17-5) had a chance to win at Miami on Sunday, but Rose missed two free throws and then a potential tying jumper with 3.7 seconds left as the Bulls fell 97-93.

Rose - who had made his previous 29 fourth-quarter free-throw attempts - did tied his season high with his second straight 34-point performance, but was more concerned with the points he didn't score.

"This is so surreal right now knowing that I had a chance to win the game," said Rose, who also had 34 points in Friday's 107-100 win over Milwaukee. "And this time it didn't work out.

"I let my team down."

The reigning league MVP now looks to help the Bulls avoid their first back-to-back regular-season losses since Feb. 5 and 7. Fortunately, they've won their last six meetings with the Wizards - the last three by an average margin of more than 20 points.

Rose sat out with a sprained toe when these teams met Jan. 11 in Chicago, but John Lucas III picked up the slack by scoring 25 points in the Bulls' 78-64 victory. The 64 points scored by the Wizards in that contest were a franchise low.

Luol Deng, who had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls in the Jan. 11 win, will miss Monday's rematch with torn ligaments in his left wrist.

This time, Chicago is likely to rely heavily on a healthy Rose, who is averaging 25.1 points in his last seven games against the Wizards (4-16) - winners of two of three under interim coach Randy Wittman to match their victory total in 17 games under the now-fired Flip Saunders.

JaVale McGee scored 22 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 102-99 victory over Charlotte, which Washington also beat 92-75 on Wednesday in Wittman's debut.

Nick Young added 21 points while John Wall scored 13 with 10 assists.

"We had good balance," Wall said. "I think (Saturday) nobody cared about who scored. We just went out there and played basketball. That's what you've got to do to win. Some nights it's going to be different people leading in scoring and you've just got to live with it."

The Wizards will need a similar effort Monday if they are to end their six-game skid against the Bulls, whom they haven't defeated since a 101-95 home win Feb. 22, 2010.

Wall went 3 for 14 from the field and scored only nine points in the most recent meeting at Verizon Center, as Rose scored 21 to lead Chicago to a 105-77 win last Feb. 28.

Wall is averaging 13.3 points and 4.3 turnovers in four career games against Chicago.

Rose scores 35 to lead Bulls over Wizards 98-88

Posted Jan 30 2012 11:07PM

WASHINGTON (AP) Fresh off an embarrassing performance Sunday in Miami, Derrick Rose couldn't wait to make up for it a day later.

And, boy, did he ever.

Rose scored a season-high 35 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 98-88 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night. It came a day after the reigning league MVP missed two key free throws and a possible game-tying jumper in the final 30 seconds in a four-point loss to the Miami Heat.

He got off to a hot start against the Wizards, scoring 13 points in the first quarter as the Bulls improved their Eastern Conference-leading record to 18-5. Chicago never trailed, led by as many as 22 and never let Washington get closer than eight points in the second half.

"I just played my game - and that's me being aggressive," Rose said.

No doubt about it.

In the first quarter, Rose took the Wizards out of the game with a dazzling array of shots - three floaters, a driving layup, a gorgeous reverse layup and a nifty running bank shot. The Bulls took a quick 21-10 lead, and the Wizards were in trouble.

"Sometimes I caught myself spectating. Some of those shots were unbelievable," Washington's Trevor Booker said.

Rose scored 15 of Chicago's 25 third-quarter points as it built a 22-point lead.

"Usually in the third quarter, we tend to back off," Rose said. "This game, we kept going, trying to make the game easy - and that's how we got the win."

In the fourth quarter, the Wizards got within eight, but never really made it competitive.

Rose was 10 for 20 from the field with a 3-pointer, and hit 14 of 15 from the line. He had eight assists.

Many in the season-high crowd of 18,357 were chanting "M-V-P! M-V-P!" as Rose showed off his skills. He had help from Carlos Boozer, who had 18 points - six in the first four minutes - and 12 in the fourth quarter. Kyle Korver had 17 - 14 in the first half - and five 3-pointers. Joakim Noah chipped in with 14 points, 13 rebounds and tied a career high with seven assists.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau credited Rose for the impressive win - Chicago's 13th of at least 10 points.

"He comes out like it's his will. He imposes his will on everybody," Thibodeau said.

The Wizards are just 4-16. They had won two of their previous three games, both against the woeful Charlotte Bobcats, who have the worst record in the NBA.

John Wall led the Wizards with 20 points, while Nick Young had 17, and JaVale McGee scored 16.

Randy Wittman, who replaced Flip Saunders as coach last Tuesday, said the Bulls, who held Washington to a franchise-low 64 points in their last meeting on Jan. 11, were the best team he'd seen this season.

Wittman didn't find any fault with his team and knows Wall is little match at this stage for Rose.

"He creates a lot of things for a lot of people," Wittman said about Rose.

He marveled at Rose's ability to easily move about much larger Wizards - defeating any strategy Wittman could devise.

"I don't know what else you can do," Wittman said.

Chicago quickly opened up a 21-10 lead and had a 26-16 advantage after the first quarter. Midway through the second, the Wizards scored seven straight to cut the lead to 36-30, but the Bulls stretched their lead to 51-40 at halftime.

Chicago ran off 11 straight points in the third quarter to take a 70-49 lead with 5:24 left.

Before the game, Rose vowed not to repeat Sunday.

"If I ever get in that position again, I know it will be totally different. Yesterday isn't going to do anything but make me stronger as a player," Rose said.

Against Washington, Rose came out quickly - hitting six of eight shots from the field in the first quarter.

Early in the fourth, the Bulls led by 19, but Washington cut it to eight with 6:50 to play. Boozer hit three straight baskets, and Chicago led 92-78.

Notes: Wizards F Andray Blatche will miss three-to-five weeks with a strained left calf, Wittman announced before the game. ... Washington recalled C Hamady Ndiaye from Iowa of the D-League. ... The Bulls played without G Richard Hamilton (right thigh) and F Luol Deng (left wrist). It was the fifth straight game Deng missed. ... This was the second of a nine-game road trip for Chicago - its longest since 1992-93. ... The Bulls have won seven straight between the teams.

Notebook: Bulls 98, Wizards 88

By Rich Dubroff, for NBA.com
Posted Monday January 30, 2012 11:44PM

THE FACTS: Derrick Rose scored a season-high 35 points-including 14-for-15 from the foul line, Carlos Boozer added 18, and Kyle Korver had 17 to lead the Chicago Bulls over the Washington Wizards 98-88 on Monday night.

The Bulls never trailed, and led by 51-40 at halftime. They doubled their lead to 22 in the third quarter, and easily held off the Wizards, who never got closer than eight in the second half. Chicago is 18-5, and has the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Washington is 4-16, and was led by John Wall's 20. Nick Young had 17, and JaVale McGee had 16.

QUOTABLE: "I just played my game, and that's me being aggressive,"
-- Rose on his bravura performance.

THE STAT: Rose had 13 points in the first quarter and 15 in the third. "Usually in the third quarter, we tend to back off. This game, we kept going, trying to make the game easy, and that's how we got the win," Rose said.

TURNING POINT: The Bulls took a 21-10 lead with 2:26 to play in the first quarter, and were in control.

QUOTABLE II: "If you've got a new strategy, seriously, call my office tomorrow."
-- Wizards coach Randy Wittman after getting a question about his team's ineffective pick-and-rolls against Rose.

HOT: After scoring 34 points in consecutive games, Rose scored a season-high 35 on Monday.

NOT: Chicago's Ronnie Brewer, starting in place of the injured Richard Hamilton, missed eight of 10 from the field, and was continually forcing shots. Hamilton had a sore right thigh.

GOOD MOVE: Rose kept driving and stayed aggressive, and the Wizards admired.. "Sometimes I caught myself spectating, just watching him. Some of those shots were unbelievable,"" Washington's Trevor Booker said.

BAD MOVE: Wall trying to keep up with Rose. The Wizards tried everything, but couldn't match up with Rose. "He creates a lot of things for a lot of people," Wittman said.

NOTABLE: Joakim Noah had 14 points, 13 rebounds and tied a career-high with 17 points as the Bulls won their 13th game by at least 10 points.

IN THE ARENA: A season-high 18,357 fans, many of whom were rooting for Chicago, came to the Verizon Center. They weren't there to watch the home team.

NEXT: Bulls: Wednesday @ Sixers, Thursday @ Knicks, Saturday @ Bucks. Wizards: Wednesday @ Magic, Friday @ Raptors, Saturday vs. Clippers

• Bulls: --
• Wizards: Blatche, Turiaf

• Bulls: Rose
• Wizards: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #59 Gary Zielinski, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 18357
• Duration: 2:10