Bulls top Wizards on Ring of Honor Night

Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 2 hours ago

CHICAGO - After getting blown out by the Miami Heat on Friday, the Chicago Bulls (9-7) returned to the United Center for their Ring of Honor celebration Saturday night. On this night, the Chicago Bulls welcomed six new members into their ring of honor in what was an energetic night at the Arena.

Not only were fans excited to see some of the former Bulls greats receive the recognition they deserve, but the Bulls also had a chance to get back to their winning ways as they welcomed the Washington Wizards (1-15) to town. Entering the game on a 13-game losing streak, this was one of those games the Bulls had to win, as they needed to beat the teams they should beat.

Early on, you would've thought it was the Bulls entering the game on a 13-game skid, as the Wizards took it to Chicago for most of the game, primarily through three quarters, when they held a six-point lead. Then came the fourth, where the Bulls opened up a two-possession lead, only to have the Wizards continue to battle back. In the end, however, it was the Bulls holding on for a 121-120 victory, forcing a late-game turnover to seal the deal.

Behind the strong play of Corey Kispert (20 points) and CJ McCollum (18 points), it was the Wizards who came out swinging as the Bulls' defense continues to struggle. Even with the Bulls' offense putting up 40 points, it was the Bulls' defense that let them down, as the Wizards put up 41 of their own to lead by one after one. Had it not been for the inside-out combo of Nikola Vucevic (28 points) and Coby White (20 points), there was a good chance the Bulls would've been down by double digits as they put the team on their back early.

It was in the second quarter that the Wizards took over, using an impressive 14-0 run to open up a double-digit lead. Cam Whitmore and Kispert started that run with some massive triples from the outside before watching Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George go to work on the inside as the Bulls continued to search for answers.

Credit Chicago for weathering the storm and battling back, as Josh Giddey helped will his team back into the game, cutting the deficit to 70-64 at the break. Giddey has been on a tear all season, and with 18 points, 12 boards, and 11 assists, he posted his fourth triple-double of the season to continue his way up the Bulls' all-time list.

Despite things being even in the third quarter as the Wizards maintained their six-point lead, things didn't come easy for the Bulls as George’s playmaking and Sarr’s activity on the glass helped the Wizards maintain a two-to-three possession lead most of the quarter. Vucevic and White did their best to will the team back, with Vucevic knocking down a pair of triples to keep Chicago within striking distance.

It may have taken the Bulls four quarters to settle in defensively, but it was in the fourth quarter that their defense got after it as they were the ones putting the pressure on the Wizards. Pair that with the Bulls bench, in particular Tre Jones and Jalen Smith, coming away with a pair of high-energy plays, and it was the Bulls ripping off an early 10-0 run to seize control for the first time since early in the game.

Matas Buzelis (13 points) played a role in that run by knocking down a couple of jumpers while Giddey continued to find his teammates all over the offensive end. Just when you thought the Bulls finally had the momentum they needed to close this out, it was the Wizards' second unit that brought them back.

Led by Whitmore and Tristan Vukcevic, the duo connected for a couple of clutch threes to keep things close as this was going to come down to the final minutes. It was the final two minutes where things were exciting as the fans were treated to several lead changes during those minutes, three of them to be exact, as neither team was willing to budge in this one.

With under a minute left, Chicago trailed but forced a stop, and Tre Jones drove and drew a foul on Justin Champagnie with 34.2 seconds remaining. Jones calmly sank both free throws, putting the Bulls ahead 121-120 and shifting all the pressure back on Washington. On the ensuing Wizards possession out of a timeout, George missed a tough mid‑range fadeaway, and Tre Jones secured the defensive rebound with about 26 seconds left. Chicago used the clock but came up empty when Coby White missed a pull‑up three.

Alex Sarr grabbed the defensive board with roughly six seconds remaining, and Washington called a timeout to set up a final play. Out of that last timeout, the Wizards had a side‑out with 5.5 seconds to go and a chance to win. George tried to inbound but rolled an errant pass out of bounds with one second left, turning it over and effectively ending Washington’s hopes; the Bulls inbounded and ran out the final tick to seal the 121-120 win and extend the Wizards’ losing streak to 14 games.

Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 28 points and 12 rebounds, dominating inside and hitting three three‑pointers. Josh Giddey recorded a triple‑double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Coby White added 20 points and six assists, and rookie Matas Buzelis contributed 13 points and six boards.

For Washington, Cam Whitmore and Corey Kispert each scored 20 points, combining efficient shooting from three-point range with aggressive drives. Kyshawn George nearly posted a triple‑double himself with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Alex Sarr added 16 points and 11 rebounds, and CJ McCollum chipped in 18 points. Still, their production was undone by late‑game miscues, including the final turnover.