addByline("Jackson Filyo", "WashingtonWizards.com");
FINAL: Wizards 107 | Bulls 115
SCORING LEADERS
Wizards: Bradley Beal (29), Russell Westbrook (21), Davis Bertans (20)
Bulls: Zach LaVine (23), Coby White (18), Otto Porter Jr. (16)
SUMMARY
The Wizards (0-4) were defeated 115-107 by the Bulls (1-3) on Tuesday night at Capital One Arena. Bradley Beal led the team with 29 points while Russell Westbrook recorded his third consecutive triple-double with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
“It’s a tough time, but you’ve got to figure it out,” Westbrook said postgame. “Especially for myself. I really, really hate losing. It’s tough for me to kind of reset. As a leader, you can’t lead just when things are going well. You have to lead when things are not going your way. We have a group of guys here that want to win, that are trying to do the right thing. Part of leadership is being able to figure it out. I’ve always believed that when adversity hits, it’s a true measurement of who you are as a man and I really believe in that. To have a little adversity early on is OK. Stick to your principles. Stick to what you know. Continue to lead and stay positive.”
Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine got their respective teams on the board first with 3-pointers on each end. Beal led the way for Washington in the early going, but the Wizards fell behind 27-20 with 1:42 left in the first, prompting a timeout from Wizards head coach Scott Brooks. Coming out of the timeout, Davis Bertans converted on a four-point play to pull the Wizards back in. Russell Westbrook, who did not play in Washington’s last outing, scored three times in the first 1:35 of the second quarter to lead a Wizards run and give the team a one-point lead. Neither team scored a point from 9:53 to 7:09 in the second quarter before a Coby White layup tied the game at 37. Minutes later, with the game tied at 44, a pair of free throws from former Wizard Garrett Temple sparked an 8-0 Chicago run just before half.
Beal scored 12 points in the third quarter, but the Wizards’ offense stalled, hitting just 1-7 (.143) from beyond the arc and scoring 27 points as the team fell behind by double digits. In the fourth, Beal and Bertans combined to score 19 points, but the Bulls’ offense found their touch. Chicago shot 11-17 (.647) and 4-8 (.500) from deep to pull away for good.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
Westbrook notches third consecutive triple-double
After missing Sunday game against the Magic, Westbrook re-entered the Wizards’ starting lineup and picked up right where he left off in his first two games in D.C. Westbrook finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, tying his season highs in points and rebounds. Westbrook has now recorded a triple-double in all three games he’s played in a Wizards uniform and becomes just the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in each of his first three games of a season (Oscar Robertson). The three-game streak of triples-doubles is Westbrook’s 15th such streak of his career.
Bertans gets back in rhythm
After his minutes restriction kept him at 20 minutes or fewer through the Wizards’ first three games of the season, Davis Bertans played a season-high 26 minutes Tuesday against Chicago. Brooks said before the game that Bertans would still not take on a full workload, but that his minutes would climb to the mid-20s. Bertans made the most of his time on the court against the Bulls, scoring a season-high 20 points on 4-10 (.400) from the field, 3-9 (333) from 3-point range and 9-9 (1.000) from the free throw line. Bertans converted on a four-point play and drew fouls on two other attempts from beyond the arc.
“It’s good to see (Bertans) make some shots, make some threes and get fouled on some threes,” Brooks said. “He’s starting to get his legs under him.”
LaVine leads the way for Chicago
While Beal and LaVine’s scoring output didn’t match that of their 85 combined points in their last meeting, they still set the pace on each end of the court. LaVine played 38 minutes and scored a team-high 23 points to go along with five rebounds, six assists and four steals.
NEXT UP: Bulls at Wizards / Thursday, December 31 / 5:00 P.M. / Capital One Arena
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT