Zach LaVine scored 33 points and Nikola Vucevic added 23 points with 13 rebounds as the Chicago Bulls extended their home winning streak to four games with a 138-105 victory Friday over the Washington Wizards.
Coby White and Jalen Smith each scored 15 points and Josh Giddey added 12 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for Chicago. Lonzo Ball and Talen Horton-Tucker also had 12 points each as the Bulls won for the fifth time in the past seven games overall and avenged a 125-107 loss at Washington on New Year’s Day.
Chicago shot 55.8 percent from the floor and went 23-of-49 (46.9 percent) from 3-point range, while LaVine reached 30 points for a career-high fifth consecutive game and for the 11th time this season. It was LaVine’s ninth 30-point game since the start of December.
Jordan Poole scored 22 points for the Wizards and went 6-of-9 from 3-point range after missing the past three games and five of the last seven contests with a left hip contusion.
Jared Butler scored 18 points, Kyshawn George added 12 and Alexandre Sarr had 11 points with 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who lost their fifth consecutive game.
The Bulls dictated the game early, taking their first double-digit lead at 31-21 with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter and going up 36-26 through one period. The Wizards fought back and were within 43-41 with 7:40 remaining in the first half.
Chicago went on a 15-4 run to take a 58-45 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the half and led 68-58 at the break. LaVine scored 18 points during the first half and Poole had 17 for Washington.
The Bulls took complete control in the third quarter, outscoring the Wizards 41-24 by shooting 55.6 percent in the period and getting 13 points from Vucevic. Chicago pushed its lead to 31 at 121-90 with 7:48 remaining on a 3-pointer from LaVine and cruised to its largest margin of victory this season.
The Bulls were without Torrey Craig (leg) and Ayo Dosunmu (calf). Marvin Bagley III (knee) was out for the Wizards along with Malcolm Brogdon (foot).
–Field Level Media
