Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Washington Wizards exploded out of the gate early, held off a couple of second-half runs and cruised to a 102-86 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday at the Verizon Center.
The Wizards frontcourt duo of Marcin Gortat and Nene completely overwhelmed the Bulls inside, combining for 36 points and 24 rebounds.
Chicago was never quite out of it, thanks to strong play from Derrick Rose and Aaron Brooks, but the Bulls just didn't have enough firepower to make up for the 60-point first half they surrendered.
| John Wall | B+ |
| Bradley Beal | B- |
| Marcin Gortat | A |
| Nene | A- |
| Rest of Team | B |
| Derrick Rose | C+ |
| Pau Gasol | C+ |
| Jimmy Butler | D+ |
| Joakim Noah | D+ |
| Rest of Team | C- |
Washington Wizards
John Wall: B+
The fast pace Washington started the game with was established by John Wall, who patiently picked apart Chicago's half-court defense and blew by defenders in transition when the opportunities presented themselves.
He showed an array of moves throughout the game, setting up shots both for himself and others. He led all players with 12 assists and dropped 16 points of his own.
Bradley Beal: B-
Typically known for his offense, Bradley Beal made his presence felt by helping to shut down Chicago's wings, Jimmy Butler and Kirk Hinrich.
Butler had one of his worst offensive showings of the season, and Hinrich went just 1-of-3. It's one thing to be a shooter, but impacting the games on both ends is what wins big games against good teams.
Offensively, Beal didn't have his most efficient night, but he did get to 17 points with his 16 shots and handed out four assists.
Marcin Gortat: A
Gortat's physicality was just too much for Chicago's bigs to handle. On just about every possession, he got whatever position he wanted inside, then bullied his way to the rim.
He finished with 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked two shots. He made Chicago's frontcourt, which has been a strength all year, look soft.
Nene: A-
Gortat didn't abuse Chicago inside by himself. He got plenty of help from Nene, who was equally, for lack of a better term, bullish.
Plays like this one exemplify just how easy it was for the Wizards' bigs to dominate the paint.
Nene had a double-double of his own, dropping 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go with 11 boards.
Rest of Team: B
One of the reasons the Wizards are an Eastern Conference title contender this season is their newfound depth. On any given night, a different role player can make an impact on the game.
Rasual Butler was the hero against the Bulls, as he hit a key three in the second half after the Bulls made a run that cut the lead to single digits. He finished the game with 13 points off the bench, hitting 3-of-5 three-point attempts.
Kris Humphries was also solid in the second unit. He didn't do a ton of scoring—nine points on 2-of-7—but he grabbed seven boards and helped lock down the Bulls bigs on the other end.
Paul Pierce also contributed defensively. He only scored seven points, but his work with Beal on the wings helped stymie Chicago's attack.
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose: C+
Overall, it was a rough game for the Bulls, but there was a silver lining. From the opening tip till the end of the game, Derrick Rose looked comfortable attacking the rim.
He showed off a lot of the explosiveness that made him so special before all the injuries, and if he can do this in May and June, Chicago's offense will be much more dynamic when it matters most.
He finished with 19 points on 8-of-19 shooting, displaying only one glaring weakness on offense. He was 1-of-7 from three-point range, even as the Wizards were willing to concede that shot to him.
Pau Gasol: C+
Pau Gasol got off to a terrible start against the physical play of Washington's bigs, struggling to get to the spots he wanted on the floor and then allowing himself to be moved around after he caught the ball.
He adjusted as the game went on, but he turned things around too late. He finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting and grabbed 13 boards.
Jimmy Butler: D+
For most of the season, Jimmy Butler has carried the Bulls' offense as a typically inefficient Derrick Rose works to shake off two years of rust.
It looked like the weight of that load finally caught up Butler, as he went 2-of-12 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range, many of his shots coming up short.
He did neutralize his poor shooting to some extent by getting to the line, but his 10 points were still well short of his average of 21.7.
And this team is at a point where it needs more from Butler to beat good teams.
Joakim Noah: D+
Joakim Noah continues to just look a bit off. Whether it's his health or some kind of rust stemming from the injuries, he doesn't have quite the same boost he showed last season when he almost singlehandedly won some games.
He looks like he's doing everything on pure will, which is how he still managed to collect 10 boards. But on offense, where it's generally more skill than will, his 1-of-5 performance really hurt the Bulls.
Rest of Team: C-
Chicago got a big game from Brooks off the bench, as he scored 16 points and hit four threes, two of which came during a late run that got the Bulls within six.
No one else really contributed much. Hinrich started at the 2, but scored just three points and didn't register a single assist. Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic combined for eight points on 3-of-9 shooting to go with eight boards.
Coming Up Next
The Bulls' next game will be at home, against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. After two straight losses, a win against a division opponent would go a long way toward getting Chicago back on track.
The Wizards, meanwhile, will be on the road to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Beating first-place Atlanta would put Washington within two games of the top seed.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
