The Washington Wizards (34-26) and the Chicago Bulls (37-23) have played three entertaining games thus far, and on Tuesday, they’ll meet for the last time in this regular season. Based on their current records and position in the Eastern Conference standings, this might not be the last time they’ll face each other this season. Who’ll win in this potential first round matchup in the playoffs?
The Rockets and the Hawks are also scheduled to play a game this coming Tuesday. Read a preview of that game here.
Randy Wittman and the rest of the Wizards have finally awoken from their collective nightmare. After beating the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, 99-95, the Wizards ended their six-game losing skid and improved their record to 34-26, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference. With a looming showdown with the Bulls, Washington will look to build on that victory and secure the team’s first back-to-back wins since early February.
[sc:NBA240banner ]One thing that’ll be going in Washington’s favor against the Bulls is the absence of Derrick Rose, who’s been a perennial headache for the Wizards in three previous meetings this season. Rose has put up 25.3 PPG in those games, even scoring a game-high 32 markers, albeit in a 105-99 Chicago loss against the Wizards on January 14.
Without Rose, John Wall and Bradley Beal can find it easier this time to keep up with Chicago’s backcourt. Wall, who scored 22 points in the Detroit game, is averaging 17.2 PPG and 10.1 APG this season.
Beal, on the other hand, made his return to action against the Pistons after missing the previous eight games due to a leg injury. He looked rusty in that game, however, scoring just eight points on a terrible 2-of-10 shooting. That said, Beal can find his groove back against Chicago’s defense that allowed him to score 16.3 PPG on 50 FG% in three meetings this season.
The Wizards are 8-0 ATS in their last eight trips to Windy City.
It looks like the Bulls will have to stomach another big blow to their lineup moving forward. Chicago got a double black-eye on Sunday as it lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 98-86 and saw Jimmy Butler go down in an apparent shoulder injury.
Butler, the Bulls’ leading scorer this season with 20.2 PPG, left in the third quarter after colliding with Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan. He exited the game with 10 points in 22 minutes of action. If Butler’s injury keeps him out of the Wizards game, expect Tony Snell and Kirk Hinrich to see increased minutes. Snell is averaging 5.5 PPG in 16.7 MPG, while Hinrich is chipping in 6.3 PPG in 26.6 MPG.
Aaron Brooks, meanwhile, should continue to be the starting point guard for the Bulls while Rose is out. Over the Bulls’ last three games, Brooks has averaged 10.7 PPG and 3.7 APG.
The Bulls depleted backcourt has also prompted the team’s frontline to up the ante on the offensive end of the floor. Joakim Noah has been playing like it’s 2013-2014 season all over again as of late, averaging 9.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 7.3 APG in Chicago’s last three games.
Pau Gasol, on the other hand, has been out of form recently because of an illness. He scored just four points against the Clippers, but did grab a team-high 15 rebounds. With a full day of rest ahead, Gasol should be back in top form when they take on the Wizards this coming Tuesday.
Nikola Mirotic, who exploded for a career-high 29 points in the loss to the Clippers, has scored 8.3 PPG in three meetings against Washington this season.
The under is 4-0 in the Bulls’ last four home games.
